by L. P. Dover
“I want you so fucking bad right now,” he growls as he slides my pants and underwear to the floor.
He turns me around so I’m facing him and his passion-filled gaze searches over my body. He lifts his hands to my face and holds me gently while he kisses me. Our tongues connect, and our bodies are in flames.
Cedric pushes me toward the bed, our lips never separating as we move across the mattress, and he lays his body on top of mine. He grinds against me, and it makes that delicious ache between my legs heighten.
Breaking the kiss, he gazes into my eyes. “I promise to go slow. You can trust me.”
“I trust you,” I whisper against his lips.
My heart rate picks up, and I slowly exhale. Cedric slides away from me and stares down at my naked body, his eyes tracing over every square inch of my skin. “Will you let me taste you again?” he asks, gliding his tongue up the inside of my thigh and moving my legs slowly apart.
I bite my lip. “How can I say no to that?”
Positioning his mouth at my center, he enters me with his warm tongue, exploring me generously and moaning while gripping my thighs. My body tightens within seconds, and I’m so close to being sent over the edge.
Moaning loudly, I grip his head with both hands to hold him in place. “Don’t stop, Cedric. Please don’t stop.”
He picks up his pace while I move my hips along with the rhythm of his mouth. A scream rips from my throat as the orgasm explodes from my body. His mouth is impressive, and he can hear my thoughts because he looks up at me with that arrogant smile. He watches me the entire time he kisses his way up the rest of my body.
“How did you like that?” he teases.
Breathing hard, I grab my chest. “It was amazing. But I think you already know that.”
He bites his lip and leans down to glide his tongue across one of my nipples. “Kind of. You screamed my name out a lot in your mind.”
Taking a taut and sensitive nipple into his mouth, he rolls it around with his tongue. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I squeeze him tight, trying to pull him closer to me.
“Please stop teasing me and make love to me,” I groan impatiently.
He growls and answers me back by sucking harder on my breast. I swear it feels like I’m going to explode with all the sensations taking over my body. Another orgasm builds, and if he keeps sucking on my breasts, he’s going to send me over the edge again. His cock presses against my opening, so I wriggle to try to get him in position.
He releases my breast and laughs. “You’re so impatient.”
I’ll show you impatient, I say through our bond.
Narrowing my eyes at him, I reach down to grip his length him firmly in my hand. He sucks in a sharp breath and closes his eyes, moaning. Sliding my hand up and down his erection, he moves his hips along with me.
He kisses me deeply, entwining his tongue with mine while positioning himself between my legs. I release my grip on his arousal so I can wrap my arms around his body, pulling him close.
I can feel his heartbeat pounding in his chest. He eases himself inside of me, slowly and gently. I flinch at first with the feel of him entering, but the sensations all over my body take the pain away, and I’m left with nothing but the desire for more of the man I’m in love with—my mate.
“And you’re mine,” he says back to me.
He continues to move gently, but the need inside my body doesn’t want it slow. My wolf wants to be taken by her mate. I can feel the wildness inside of her, so I pick up the pace with my hips and move harder against him.
“I need more,” I beg. “Harder, Cedric.”
He stares down at me with concern in his eyes. “Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I’m sure,” I groan feverishly.
Instantly, he complies and moves more vigorously, thrusting deeper, and more demanding. Moving my hands to his back, I dig my nails into his skin. If I could shift, he’d be torn up by now.
When I grip my legs tighter around him, it fuels him even more. He gives a few more thrusts and releases inside of me just as my orgasm peaks. It’s the most amazing feeling I’ve ever felt. He collapses on top of me while we lay there to catch our breath. He kisses me tenderly and trails his kisses down my neck.
It sends goosebumps down my body, and I can tell he’s still hard and ready inside me, stretching me and filling me full. He looks up to my face, and by the fevered expression in his eyes, he wants more. “I love you, Laila.”
My eyes start to burn. Our vision does have me worried, but I can’t let it control my life, not when there’s so much living we can do. “I love you too. Just promise me one thing.”
He lifts up on his elbows. “Anything.”
“Promise me that no matter what happens, we’ll get through whatever it is together. No running away, no trying to figure things out on our own. It’s you and me.”
He brings a hand up to my face, his skin warm against mine. “I promise. You and me.”
We may not know what our future holds, but our present is worth living for. I just have to hold onto it and pray to the Great Luna that I’m strong enough to handle what’s coming our way.
Seventeen
Cedric
There are twelve days before the next full moon. I peek into the bedroom where Laila is still asleep, her long red hair fanned out over the pillow with her bare skin exposed. My dick twitches at the sight of her voluptuous breasts, but I have to give her a break, especially after the night we had. I have scrambled eggs on the stove, the bacon is already fried up, and the banana pancakes are piled high on a plate, ready to be devoured. Seraphina taught me how to do many things while I lived with her.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out and see Ryker’s name on the screen. “Hey, man,” I say, keeping my voice as quiet as I can. I walk away from the bedroom back to the kitchen.
“Everything okay?” Ryker asks.
“Yeah. Just trying to be quiet. Laila’s still sleeping.”
“I heard you decided to take a couple of weeks off from work.”
I made the call this morning. With all the strange things going on with rogues and the dark fae searching for people like Laila, I figured it’d be best to stay with her as much as I can, at least, until she starts her apprenticeship and becomes my partner at work.
“It’s for the best right now,” I say.
Ryker sighs. “You may be right. I’ve had some of the men scout out the woods. One caught a scent, but it was gone in an instant, and he couldn’t trace it. I don’t know what’s going on, but we need to keep our eyes open.”
“Exactly. That’s why I’m not letting Laila out of my sight unless she’s with her family or you.”
“You sound a little different this morning. I take it things are moving along with you two?”
Grinning, I take a seat at the kitchen table. “You can say that.”
“Do you think you’ll complete the bond at the next full moon?”
Twelve days feels so far away. “That’s the plan. Let’s just hope nothing happens before then. It seems like the shit always hits the fan right before a full moon.”
Ryker snorts. “Got that right. You know the hell I went through with Bailey.”
How could I forget? I don’t know what I’d do if someone tried to take Laila away from me. I hear her feet hit the floor in the bedroom, and her steps coming down the hall. “Hey, brother, let me talk to you later. Laila’s awake.”
He chuckles. “Have fun.”
Laila turns the corner into the kitchen, dressed in one of my T-shirts that hangs down to just above her knees. She holds her stomach and breathes in the air. “I am so hungry. I think I burned off everything I ate for the past week.”
I walk over to her and pull her into my arms. Touching her has never felt so right. “We’ll have to burn off more calories when you’re ready for round two.”
She giggles. “Perfect. But it’ll have to wait for tonight. I have work to do today.�
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“Oh yeah,” I say, letting her go. “Like what?”
“Well …” She lets me go and walks over to the bacon, and picks up a slice. “It’s more like shopping. I’m going to pick up some plants for Mr. Tanner’s house and get some furniture ordered up. He went back to New York for a few weeks, so he left me his credit card and house keys.”
“What does this guy look like?” I ask. “I’m wondering if I should be jealous.”
Her grin widens. “Not unless you’re envious of a sixty-five-year-old human man with a hefty bank account.” She takes a bite of her bacon and winks. “You have nothing to worry about. I’m kind of partial to the young, rugged wolf type.”
I step toward her, loving the way her mouth moves when she eats. “Mind if I come with you today? I’d love to see you in action.”
“Of course,” she exclaims, her face brightening. “I’d love for you to come with me. What about work?”
I shrug. “Took some time off. I’m going back when you start your apprenticeship.”
She finishes off her bacon and picks up both plates I had on the counter, handing me one of them. “I’m warning you; it’s a lot of shopping. You might get bored.”
“Not when I’m with you.”
Her eyes twinkle. “I’m glad you’ll be with me. Christmas is coming up, and I was wondering if you’d gotten anything for Seraphina yet.”
With everything going on, Christmas has been the furthest from my mind. “I haven’t,” I admit sheepishly.
“No worries,” she says, giving me a mischievous grin. “I have the perfect idea. All we have to do is stop by the gem store for a few minutes. And then, when we’re done with everything, I’m all yours.”
I pull her into me and kiss her. “You’re always going to be mine.”
We stopped by the Blue Stone first, and Laila had me pick out a stone that I believe represented Seraphina. When I think of her, I think of purity and goodness. The white opal was the first stone that caught my eye. After that, we walked all through downtown Jackson Hole, visiting every single furniture and antique store, grabbing plants along the way. I’m thankful the expensive furniture is going to be delivered in a few days. I can’t afford to replace any of it. The amount of money Laila charged on her client’s credit card is close to what my entire cabin costs with everything inside of it.
Once my truck is filled, we start on our way to her client’s house. Of course, I’m not surprised when we arrive, and it’s a multi-million-dollar mansion. Laila goes to the door and unlocks it with a big smile on her face. She’s so beautiful with her long, red hair in a braid and wearing just a simple plaid shirt and jeans. Sometimes it’s hard to believe she’s mine.
I grab as much stuff out of my truck and haul it inside so she can get to work. There’s an excitement on her face that I’ve never seen before.
I follow her to the sunroom, where she has two plants situated by the sizeable arch-like doorway. She steps away from them and holds her hands up in the air. The plants' vines start to grow, and they climb up the archway, sprouting gigantic white flowers.
“Nice.”
Laila snickers. “I can’t exactly do this kind of stuff with my client around.”
I glance around the room. “Hopefully, he doesn’t have cameras.”
She shakes her head. “He doesn’t. They’re getting installed next week. That’s why I wanted to get this done now.” There are plants in all of the rooms, and she goes through and makes them bloom.
My phone rings, and Ryker’s name pops up on the screen. “Hey, brother. Haven’t I already talked to you once today?” I tease.
He laughs. “That you have, smart ass. Just thought I’d give you the good news.”
“What’s up?”
“Four wolves from the Timberwolf pack have shown the mating signs. Chase asked if we’d like to celebrate with them tonight at the bar.”
Chase Maheegan is the alpha of that pack; he’s a good guy. “Is Chase one of those four?” I ask.
Ryker sighs. “No. I can tell he’s a little disappointed, but his time will come.”
I hope so. I look at Laila and her eyes on me. “I’m sure Laila and I will make an appearance. We’ll see you there.” We say our goodbyes, and I hang up.
“Where are we going?” she asks.
I slide my phone into my pocket. “The bar where we had your welcome to the pack party. Some wolves from the Timberwolf pack have found their true mates. There’s going to be a big celebration.”
Laila beams. “That’s great news. It’ll give the others hope. Maybe one day, everyone will have the chance to find their true mates.” One can only hope so.
Once Laila is done situating everything in the house, we head back to her place to prepare for the celebration. While she’s upstairs with Faith and Amelie, I stay in the living room with Micah.
Micah points at the ceiling where the women are just above us. “I don’t know why they always have to get dressed up to go to parties.”
“I heard that,” Faith yells down at him. Her footsteps pound on the hardwood floors, and then she appears at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes fixed on Micah. “I’m not the only one looking nice tonight. I see you in your expensive jeans with your hair perfectly coifed. I think someone knows all the ladies will be following him around tonight.”
Micah stares at her, his face blank. I know that look. He doesn’t want to get his hopes up. I’m pretty sure if his mate were one of the females in our pack, it would’ve happened by now. I’ve seen how all the females are around the royal wolves, especially Micah since he’s unmated. Then again, it’s the same for the females. “Everyone wants a royal,” I add. “They’ll be following you around too, Faith. Lyall’s going to have his hands full tonight fighting off the ladies and making sure you’re protected.”
Faith snorts. “Trust me. I have my brother to help with that too. You saw how he was with you when we became friends.”
Colin is a grade-A douchebag, but I can’t fault him for wanting to keep someone like me away from his sister. Things change though. I’m not the same man I used to be. “Still. You need to be careful.”
Amelie walks down the stairs, and Faith whistles at her. “Someone else needs to be careful too. You look gorgeous, my friend.”
Micah stands. “I’ll watch over her tonight.”
Amelie waves him off. “I ripped my last mate apart. I think I can handle myself.”
Micah chuckles and holds up his hands. “Got it. Let’s go then.” He looks at me and nods toward the door. “We’ll meet you at the bar.” As soon as they walk out the door, Laila comes down the stairs, grinning from ear to ear and wearing a gray sweater dress and boots with her red hair in waves down her back. In her hand is a small gift bag.
“Holy hell, you’re sexy as fuck tonight.”
She shakes her head and laughs. “Men.”
“What do you have in the bag?” I ask her.
She reaches in and pulls out the white opal I bought for Seraphina. “I know it’s not Christmas yet, but I’m too excited to wait. I think you should give it to her tonight.”
“Don’t you have to put my memories in it?”
“You do,” she says, holding it out for me. “Take it.” I open my hand, and she places the opal in my palm, setting her hand on top. “I’m going to transfer your feelings and memories into the stone. That way, when Seraphina touches it, she’ll get the full experience.”
There’s a light in her eyes when she talks about magic. I don’t even want to imagine what it’ll be like for her if things change after completing the bond. Will she or will she not have her magic?
“You’re pretty amazing, you know that?”
She smiles up at me. “So are you. Now close your eyes and think of your most favorite memories of Seraphina. Put all your feelings into it.”
There are a million memories that flash through my mind, but there are some that hold firm. The day she found me in the woods and brought me to her h
ouse. I remember feeling safe. Never once did she ever make me feel unloved. No matter what kind of mischief Ryker and I got into, she was always there for us. Laila’s hand gets warmer, and when I open my eyes, there’s a soft glow emanating from the opal.
Laila opens her eyes, and a couple of tears fall. I wipe them away and pull her into my arms. “Why are you crying?”
“Because,” she says, leaning her head on my chest, “your memories are beautiful. There were so many. Seraphina’s going to love it.” She steps back and kisses my cheek. “Come on. I’m ready for you to give it to her.”
She holds up the bag, and I slip the opal back inside it as we head out the door. There’s a lot of snow on the ground, so it takes a few minutes to get to the main road. When we get to the bar, it’s packed with both wolves and humans. Laila holds my hand as we walk inside, and it’s hard not to smile. There’s a hint of possessiveness in how she sticks by my side, especially when some humans turn my way. However, the feeling is mutual because several human men can’t seem to turn their eyes away from her. With shifters, I can tear them apart if they challenge me. Humans, not so much. I can still give them a beating if the situation calls for it. I’ve had to do that a time or two in my life.
Bailey and Tyla rush up to Laila and steal her away from me so they can catch up. Ryker waves me over to join him and Chase at one of the corner tables. “Hey, brother.”
I shake both his and Chase’s hands. “What’s up. Who are the lucky wolves?”
Chase points at two couples across the room, all four of them a little older than me. “Nice,” I say, turning back to him. He has the same look on his face that Micah had earlier. “I’m sure you’ll find yours soon.”
Chase takes a swig of his beer and scoffs. “Yeah, maybe.”
Ryker slaps a hand on his back. “It’ll happen.”
“There are my two boys,” Seraphina calls out. She comes up to Ryker and me and kisses us both on the cheek. Chase greets her and excuses himself so he can join his pack. She glances around the room and smiles. “It’s such a good feeling to see everyone come together like this.”