Finding My Mate

by Rylee Winters

  Respirators hissed and sucked, and the beeping of heart monitors trilled in the still, deathly heavy atmosphere.

  Behind me stood all of the clan that had been at the party, all cautiously curious as if seeing a dangerous animal at the zoo. It was honestly pathetic, but I couldn’t really complain considering Linne had agreed to let them watch. Leaning on the window sill, I licked the roof of my mouth heavily as Linne’s wings enlarged and spread elegantly.

  Even the fact that she was about to murder a hundred people didn’t make her any less beautiful; in fact, I found her more attractive. She stood facing the window, naked from the waist up, and her perfectly small breasts combined with that confidence blaring from her eyes sent desire flooding into my veins.

  “Are you ready?” Linne’s naturally husky voice washed down my skin to leave goosebumps in its wake, and I jerked my head in a nod. Spreading her wings wide, she took a deep breath, and my gaze flickered down to watch her perky, rosy nipples harden.

  I wasn’t sure how much longer I could go on like this.

  But any sexual thoughts that threatened to dominate my mind disappeared with the ringing that trilled in my ears, cancelling out all other sounds. Tearing my eyes off Linne, I stiffened at the dead, still bodies that surrounded her, while every heart monitor gave off a shrill, monotone beep that rang above the blood pounding against my ear drums. Every wolf showed different signs of death – one close to the window was bleeding out of his eyes, ears, and nose, and the human form next to him bruised as if he had internal bleeding.

  She killed them all instantly, and no two deaths were the same.

  “What the actual fuck…” Breathing heavily, my awe swept through the crowd of onlookers as they edged closer to the window on either side of me. Flying to Linne, my eyes widened at the wicked smirk that tilted her lips, and her wings twitched as magic flowed between the axillar like electricity flowing between metal conductors. My mind flung back to the night she’d trapped the wolves in their minds, and my heart stuttered slightly.

  Not from fear, but from anticipation.

  “Get out of the way – move!” Hammering in my chest, my heart pumped with adrenaline as a low, powerful growl burst from my throat, and I pushed my way roughly to the door only a dozen feet away. The atmosphere bore down on me before I even flung open the barrier and entered the room, but Linne’s magic didn’t work on me. Running down the aisle between rows and rows of dead wolves in both forms, I threw myself at my mate to send us both tumbling to the ground.

  The shock of it, of rolling into the metal legs of a bed, snapped Linne out of her destructive daze, and she gasped and arched. Her powerful wings beat against the linoleum, pushing beds and sending bodies toppling to the floor with sickening thumps. Straddling her waist, I held her cheeks in my palms until her eyes focused on me, and I leaned down to rest my forehead against hers.

  “Relax.” Purring heavily, I brushed my nose to Linne’s as her chest inflated sharply, shivering as her nipples grazed my shirt. “You need to learn to control yourself, Linne.”

  “It is difficult…” Murmuring softly, she exhaled softly onto dry my lips, and they tingled with the urge to connect with hers. “You are so weak minded…”

  “Mmm – your powers don’t work on me, though.” My declaration only earned me a sultry giggle, and my cock jumped against my jeans. “I’m going to kiss you…”

  Nuzzling Linne’s cheek gently, my hands moved to tangle with hers, and my heart squeezed when she didn’t protest. Brushing my lips against the corner of her mouth, I held myself rigid above her, and her thighs pressed against the sides of my waist. Blood rushed into my ears, and the smell of her overwhelmed the stench of the hospital room, and the wolves and men alike.

  The slightly creepy notion of dead bodies around us lay forgotten for a moment.

  Linne’s plump lips were soft, faintly tasting like grilled chicken and collard greens, and I couldn’t contain my groan. Shivering, I ground against her belly, and her mouth parted in a gasp to make way for my tongue. Magma replaced the blood in my veins, and my cock strained against my jeans as the smell of her own arousal slithered up into my nostrils.

  “Good…” Grinning wickedly at her moan, I tangled our tongues to taste her, and a tickling sensation slipped down my left arm. Linne’s feathers rustled as her wing folded, caressing the ugly blotches on my bicep down to my elbow, and I broke the kiss to pant harshly. Her eyes sparkled brightly with desire and something else – something deeper – and I bumped my nose against hers to sigh.

  “You’re beautiful.” Whispering softly, Linne lifted her hand with mine to touch the back of my palm to my chest, and my smile turned tender. “I like your kisses.”

  “You’re the only woman I’ve ever kissed – the only one I’m ever going to be with.” Muttering my deepest secret, my lips trembled, and my heart squeezed tightly at the unbound happiness that raged across Linne’s face. Her smile was so bright, it threatened to blind me, and I sucked in a sharp breath. “Want to get out of here? Go somewhere without a carpet of bodies around us?”

  “Okay. Where will we go?” Expectant confusion dribbled from Linne’s tongue, and I held her hand to my chest as I straightened atop her. “Is it the same place the human Chad’s little cousin takes dates?”

  Holy fuck – really? Shaking my head even as incredulous exasperation flooded my veins, I tightened my grip on Linne’s hand.

  “No – we’re not going to a motel, Linne.” Climbing off her, I helped her to her feet, but her wings didn’t shrink like I expected them to. Pushing back the curiosity, I led her by the hand down the aisle and out the door, but the only people waiting for us were Alpha Jackson and five hospital nurses. “Follow me.”

  Alpha Jackson must’ve sent everyone else away in the few seconds I had been in the room, but that didn’t stop the questioning looks from the nurses. The two females were green with nausea, and the three men weren’t doing much better. Still, I didn’t stop to entertain whatever shocked confusion they’d fling at me.

  “Okay.” Heading towards the elevator with Linne padding behind me, my body thrummed with the urge to shift. I never wanted to voluntarily shift in front of anyone before, but she wouldn’t look at me like I was a freak. She wouldn’t see my black fur and wonder why I hadn’t offed myself after my first shift.

  She would understand the pain of being abandoned by her parents because of what she was.

  “Do you think your clan will accept me now that they know I am not a threat?” Posing the question as we entered the elevator, Linne stared at me with those sparkling, hazel eyes of hers so innocently that she took my breath away. Wrapping my free arm around her waist, I nodded curtly, and she let out a sigh of relief to smile broadly. “Good. I do not want to kill them.”

  “Why?” Even though I’d only witnessed it once, I wasn’t an idiot; something akin to euphoria took Linne over when she fought. I had a feeling that what I saw only scratched the surface, though. The more powerful the enemy, the more intense the desire she had to exterminate him or her. Shrugging at my question, she stared at herself in the reflective walls as we headed to the ground floor.

  “They are your clan. The people that took you in when your own parents did not want you.” Reaching to stroke the discolored, smooth blotch on my forearm gently, Linne turned her gaze to me to inhale sharply. “You are beautiful, and someone here saw that. Just like the human Chad gave me a chance, you were given a chance. I will protect the human Chad, and I will protect these people just as they protected you.”

  “That’s very noble of you, Linne.” Mumbling softly, I pressed my lips to her crown even as she snorted delicately.

  “It is not noble. It is sensible. The human Chad can hardly be considered an ally, and if Bareiijnr does come after me, I will need help.” Even as she tried to justify her decision, Linne blushed up to her ears, and affection wiggled into my heart. “It is common sense.”

  “Sure it is.” Smiling up at me bashfully, Lin
ne licked her lips before the elevator trilled and the doors came sliding open. “You just want them to like you.”

  “I want you to like me.” Linne blurted out the desire, and I couldn’t help but laugh when she went beet red. Squeezing her to my side, I guided her out of the elevator and through the lobby while she just stared at her feet, intending to take her to get dressed.

  I never could’ve imagined the kind of person she was while I kept watch over her during her coma. I never could’ve imagined the changes she would put me through even when she wasn’t trying to do anything more than articulate her wants and thoughts. She really was childlike in this way, and I hoped it never faded as she got used to this realm.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Linne

  Holding myself very still, I held my breath as Derek led me through the front door of his home. The building was only a single story tall, and I craned my neck to see everything there was to see. He had a couch, a table in his kitchen – things I did not see the point in having. The bare walls were painted a neutral cream, and the carpets matched.

  “You have a lovely home.” Speaking the words automatically, I smiled when Derek twisted to catch my eye. “It is very homely.”

  “Thank you.” Flames licked my face at his low, smooth tone, and my eyes widened when he tugged me to his hard chest. “I was hoping you’d like it. I want you to stay the rest of the night.”

  Blood drummed in my ears at the promise in Derek’s voice, and I nodded dumbly as my mind failed to make words. Gasping when he picked me up with a strong arm under my backside, I wrapped my arms around his neck as my wings fluttered. The appendages never shrunk like they were supposed to, but I couldn’t think much on it, being distracted when he kissed my lips roughly.

  Moaning loudly as electricity crackled along my face just under my skin, I buried my fingers in Derek’s hair to hold him closer. His tongue slithered sweetly into my mouth, and his saliva coated my taste buds as air filled my skull. The sensations battering my brain were overwhelming, and I didn’t try to fight them as I tucked my wings against my back.

  Strong, reliable hands roamed my back and legs, and Derek sat me on the back of the couch to grip my hips. Need coiled in my abdomen, tightening my muscles and sent shivers up my spine and into my wings. Our sloppy kiss turned ravenous, and he ground against my core shamelessly as his desire poured into my lungs.

  “You’ve done this before, Linne?” Shaking my head with a moan at his mumble, my chest tightened, and my ribs creaked under the pressure. “Are you scared?”

  Pulling back to stare at the apprehension on Derek’s face, the anxiety swimming in his eyes, tears welled in my eyes at his moment of vulnerability. Slowly shaking my head a second time, I drew his lips to mine even as my heart sputtered in its cage. Tension thrummed between my shoulders, and I flexed my wings in a futile attempt to relieve it.

  “You are my mate.” Smiling slightly at Derek’s shaky inhale, my murmur caused him to shiver violently against me. “I am not scared.”

  Derek slipped his fingers underneath my shorts to knead my butt, and I arched sharply as his tongue tangled with my own. His touch washed my body in goosebumps, and my abdomen pulsed with need that only grew more intense with the friction. Spreading my legs wider, I moaned loudly as the large, firm bulge in his pants ground against my core.

  “Oh – fuck – ” My thighs quivered at the low growl that burst from Derek’s chest, and he pulled down my shirt to cup my breast and squeeze. Throwing my head back, I panted wildly as his lips trailed fire down my neck. Sucking in a sharp breath, my lungs shuddered when he clamped down on my nipple, and he pinched my left one between callused fingers.

  “Ah – hah!” Closing my eyes tightly, I spasmed lightly at the shocks of pleasure, and Derek suckled gently to chase my moan with the sounds. “Ha – a – ah… Y – y – es – s – s…!”

  His rough touches left my breast, replaced by his mouth and left my right nipple aching for more. A palm callused by many years of hard work was shoved down the front of my shorts, and I fisted Derek’s hair with a yelp. Fingertips probed and circled, curling my toes and liquifying my insides at the heat that he created.

  Spreading the moisture that seeped from my entrance, Derek left my chest to swallow my moans, and my eyes boggled when he thrust his fingers inside me. The pair of fingers twisted and reached to my deepest places, and I tensed at the unfamiliar sensation. Pleasure quaked through me almost violently, and sounds burst from my throat that I didn’t even know I could make.

  Exiting me, Derek thrust his thick digits knuckle deep, and my legs jerked around his waist. His harsh pants dried my mouth even as our mix of saliva threatened to choke me, and I grappled desperately with his shirt for something to hold on to.

  Again, Derek reached deep, wiggling his fingers, and my eyes rolled in their sockets as a wave of pleasure crashed into my chest. Clamping down around him, I trembled and buckled under his ground-breaking growl. His free hand splayed across my back as I faltered, and my moan bounced off the ceiling as I imploded.

  “So beautiful…” Derek’s murmur softly feathered against my chin and coupled with his intense stare, I hiccupped a harsh breath before cracking open my eyes. His face portrayed nothing but raw reverence – the zealotry of worship one would allocate to a god – and I whimpered even as I ducked my head to kiss him.

  “So beautiful…” My voice mimicked his expression, and Derek groaned low as he worked his fingers into my quivering channel. Moaning with each gyration of his fingertips against my walls, I lost my breath under his lips as he shoved his tongue in my mouth. “Yes – yes – yes – yes – yes!”

  “Fuck – fuck – fuck – fuck – fuck!” Tightening around him, I sputtered and gasped as his vulgarity swept over my tongue. The loud squelching from between my legs punctuated his grunts, and I rolled my hips in wanton need. Reaching deeply, his fingertips brushed the coil in my abdomen, and that tiny disturbance set off a flood of euphoria into my veins.

  Fabric tearing and rustling sounded only faintly in my ears, and I undulated and spasmed wildly even after Derek exited my channel fully. The emptiness left me cold and twitchy, and I locked my ankles against the small of his back before he thrust his manhood as deep as my cavern could stretch.

  Everything stopped at the sudden invasion; even my heart couldn’t beat as Derek bit down on my bottom lip. His length tore my walls, and I could feel each vein and ridge detailing his silky-smooth flesh.

  Glorious. That one word dominated my otherwise blank mind, and Derek was the first to breathe. His wheezing inhale sent a shrill whistle into the heavy atmosphere just above our heads, and my shallow, harsh pants followed in the time it took me to blink.

  “…Linne…” Whispering my name with more air than noise, Derek sent my heart into overdrive, and I tightened my legs around his waist. Just that tiny spasm sent him even deeper, and my gasp was loud enough to break the shocked stillness that encased us.

  “Oh –h –h –h!” My guttural groan bubbled up from my depths when Derek pulled out, mingling with his vicious snarl against my chin. Surging into my channel, he squeezed my hip to keep me on my perch, and his skin slapped loudly against mine. The stinging sensation rippled through me, and I couldn’t keep my balance against the bombardment of pleasure that slammed into me.

  Falling against the back of the couch, I arched and writhed as Derek thrust haphazardly. Quick, hard snaps of his hips rocked my body, and it was impossible to breathe even as my lungs screamed in agony for air. Pressure built behind my eyes, and he gripped my waist with both hands to redouble his efforts to send me spiraling into the abyss.

  My wings spasmed weakly with each, jarring thrust, and my moans were lost under Derek’s growls and grunts. Against his rod, my walls quaked under the force of his intrusion, and I gripped the pillows beneath me in an effort not to float away on pink clouds.

  “Fuck yes –s!” Hissing as he ploughed into my swollen channel one final, hard time, Der
ek stilled as he came, before he slumped to wrap his arms around my torso to hold me to him. His teeth grinding sounded faintly in my ears beyond the blood that pounded against my drums. Hard pants rolled down between my breasts, and colorful spots appeared in my blurred vision.

  “…Wow…” Blowing the word out on a heavy sigh, I worked my arms around Derek’s neck as he sunk into me.

  Sex was not a foreign concept like other human customs, but I never thought it’d feel like that – like it would change something about me so fundamentally.

  “Wow…” Sucking in a loud, deep breath through his nose, Derek nuzzled my neck and kissed me under my ear even as I stared, dazed, at the ceiling. “Are your wings okay?”

  The slow, slurred question touched my heart, and a big, goofy smile stretched my tingling lips. Carefully lifting himself off me, Derek’s desire, affection – completeness – rained down on me in his gaze, and I let them drench my twitching skin. Dragging my palms down to cup his jaw, I licked my lips and the roof of my mouth until the numbness in my tongue died down.

  “They are undestroyable – you do not need to worry about them.” Intense hunger painted Derek’s expression, and his rod stiffened while still inside me. Gasping at the sudden tightness between my legs, I bit down on my bottom lip even as my eyelids threatened to shudder close.

  “I want to pull on them.” Thrusting his hips insistently, Derek grinned a feral smirk, and my abdomen quivered when he pulled out of me. Turning me over, he gave me no time to consider a response as both his hands gripped my wings at the base. Tensing up, I squeezed my eyes closed and prepared for the pain I thought would come.

  But the discomfort, the sharp needle-like sensation of tearing muscle, never prickled down my back, and I cracked my eyes open. Only then did Derek tug gently, and I gasped as erotic shocks assaulted my spine. Twisting to find him watching me intently, searching for any sign of pain, I panted as his taut hold restricted my lungs.