Wolf's Mate Mpreg Romance Box Set
Page 63
Pippen exhaled, relaxing into him. The motion meant the world to Conner. There had been a time when just getting Pippen to sit down with him in the same room would have been considered a successful interaction.
"Love, you're wearing too many clothes," Conner murmured.
"It's so I can make an easy get away," Pippen replied, but the way he thrust his butt back, nestling it in Conner's crotch lessened the sting of what he'd said.
Conner kissed his neck. Slow, warm kisses that were as lazy as they were promises of more to come. "I wouldn't mind it if you ran," he said, smiling at the way Pippen stiffened slightly. "I enjoy chasing you, can't you tell?"
"Lucky for me."
Conner slipped his hand under Pippen's shirt, sliding his palm along the taut muscles of his chest, exploring the dips and grooves between the hard planes. "Lucky for me, you'll soon be so rounded I might have an easier time catching you." He placed his hand on Pippen's stomach for emphasis.
Pippen moaned as Conner slid his hand down lower, gently grazing over his erect cock. "I can't wait to see you swollen with my child," he whispered harshly, emotion overcoming his playful demeanor. "I won't be able to keep my hands off you."
Pippen gasped. "You aren't doing a very good job now as it is."
Conner leaned back far enough to help slip Pippen's sweats down. He yanked Pippen's shirt up, but when it became clear Pippen would have to move away from him to get it off completely, Conner tore the shirt off instead.
"I've lost more clothes since I met you..."
"I'll take you shopping. Or, better yet, you can stay naked. Always ready, always willing."
This time, Pippen's whole body stiffened as he craned his neck back to look at Conner. He saw the anger that was in Pippen's eyes, but he also saw the worry. "I will not be weakened like that." Pippen tried scooting forward and away.
Conner clamped one arm around his naked mate while allowing the other to explore downwards, slipping between his cheeks and teasing his backside.
"I would never ask to weaken you, Pippen," Conner whispered in his ear while continuing his exploration. There was a clear struggle raging within Pippen, his mind wanted to detach from the moment, remain isolated and to him, remain strong, and the other—Conner suspected mainly Pippen's wolf—wanted to lay back and allow his mate and alpha to do whatever it was that he wanted. Conner wanted both sides of Pippen, loved both his mind and his wolf.
"There are different types of strength. What you are doing now, allowing your body to be used as a vessel for life, in a way that will be uncomfortable for you, that may even at times be scary, that is the bravest, strongest thing you could ever do. I am in awe of you for it. Strength can't always be knives and violence, though it is that, too." Conner released the restraining arm he had over Pippen and searched for the tiny bottle of lube he kept under his pillowcase. He didn't have much cause to use it, considering a shifter's pre-cum was naturally a lubricant as well as a sensitizing fluid, but there were times when a little extra help was needed. He deposited a dollop on his fingers and returned to Pippen's bottom, spreading his cheeks and finding his sweet puckered hole. His fingertip rubbed around it, preparing the area for an invasion.
"You have me now, Pippen," Conner said, slipping the tip of his finger in. Pippen gasped and then moaned, Conner couldn't see his face clearly but imagined he was biting his lip. He wiggled his finger, allowing the lube to coat his hole before slipping it all the way inside. He hooked his finger, rubbing against Pippen's prostate, forcing him to jump from the bed at the sudden onslaught of pleasure.
"Let me be your knife," Conner murmured, fucking him with his finger. "Let me do your violence."
"I...won't...be...helpless," Pippen replied between gasps.
"Receiving help does not make you helpless." Conner threw the blankets off them and grabbed Pippen's left thigh, pulling it up and spreading him open. "It makes you loved." He moved his hand and rotated his body more to the side, lining up the head of his cock. Thrusting up he slid in easily, Pippen clamped his muscles, capturing Conner's cock in a warm, slick vice.
"Oh, fuck, yes that's the way," Conner grunted, beginning to thrust inside of his mate. He held onto Pippen's thigh, pulling his leg up, ensuring he would remain open. This angle allowed him deeper access. His other hand captured Pippen's hands, holding both of his wrists over his head.
Held that way, Pippen was truly vulnerable to him. He would know what it meant to allow someone else the privilege of caring for him, protecting him.
"I don't know if I can do it," Pippen moaned, his voice thick with emotion.
Conner thrust hard and quick, each upward push sent shock waves through him. "You can, love," he encouraged his mate, sensing that they were both nearing their climaxes. He was nearly lost to the pleasures that his mate supplied. This was what it was like to be mated, fitting perfectly with one another, a perfect match.
He pounded deep inside his mate, feeling his balls tighten. His inner wolf snarled and howled and in that moment, Conner felt more beast than man. He bit the soft skin at Pippen's neck, needing to dominate, to be so connected to this man that he never thought to ever leave him again, never thought to ever doubt their connection, no matter what life threw at them next.
He felt his seed building up in his cock before shooting out into his mate. He emptied himself inside of him as Pippen made tiny howling noises, coating his abdominals and chest with his own release.
They lay that way for an indeterminable amount of time, still joined in the most intimate of ways, gasping as they tried to regain their breath.
"Thank you, Conner, for sticking with me. I know I'm not easy."
Conner wrapped his arms around his mate. "You wouldn't be mine if you were easy. Tomorrow will bring us new problems, but we will deal with them together. Come, love, let's go take a shower."
***
Pippen scooped a cup of flour from the container, plopping it into the bowl. As he did, he blew, causing a burst of flour to be swept away and into the face of Adam who was sitting on the other side of the stainless-steel kitchen preparation table. He giggled and brushed the white powder away, some of it remaining on the edges of his face. Bettina, who sat beside him, laughed.
"Do you want to help?"
"What are you making?" Bettina asked, peering down into the bowl.
"This is dough, for calzones."
"Like pizza?"
"Yep, like pizza. While Howling—excuse me, The Den, is getting remodeled, Felix and Conner want a weekly dinner where all the pack is welcome. This is our first one."
"Will we be allowed?"
Pippen set down the bowl of frothy yeast water he had in his hand. "Of course you are allowed. You're part of this pack, aren't you?"
"Yes," Adam answered proudly.
The doors to the kitchen opened. Pippen looked up, expecting to see Conner and frowned when Andrea stepped in instead. Since that first day, their interactions had been reduced to frigid glaciers passing in the sea.
She had borrowed some clothes from Stella who was about her size, but much taller. Her pants and the sleeves of her shirt were all rolled up. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail and while there were still bags under her eyes, she looked cleaner and well rested.
"What about me?" Andrea asked, proving she'd been eavesdropping from the other side of the door. Pippen cursed his dulled senses. It was as if all his energy was now being diverted to assisting his pregnancy, making him feel like he had the senses of a regular human.
"That is up to you, Conner, and Felix, Andrea. And ultimately, up to you."
"Oh please. I remember when Conner was my mate. There is no way he would do anything you wouldn't like."
Pippen turned away from her, pouring the yeast mixture into his bowl of dry ingredients. He carefully began combing it all together, not too roughly, but firmly enough so that it would be well blended. All of the online recipes would tell the chef to let a mixer do the hard work, but Pippen preferred doing
it all by hand—plus beating up dough was good for getting out his aggressions. He had never been a jealous man before. That was more because there was never someone he had clung to enough to be afraid of losing. Now, he simply knew there was no possibility of Andrea or anyone else stealing his mate. That didn't mean it wasn't annoying.
"Why don't you two go wash your hands?" Pippen suggested to Adam and Bettina. "Soap and water and then dry them completely. Germs are not delicious." The two kids hopped off and went to the bathroom. "It can't be easy, being you," Pippen said quietly. "I'm not saying I forgive your choice to do drugs over caring for your child, but I know you were young when Conner arrived with his family from Manchester. Your two families had been mating for generations. I get it. You both grew up thinking there was no other choice. You've been ordered around your whole life. And I bet that not a lot of people think you are going to succeed in staying clean. Shit, if it wasn't for Silas' meddling, you might not be clean now."
Andrea winced but she didn't contradict him.
"So why don't you surprise the hell out of everyone and succeed? Clean yourself up, take care of your son, take care of you."
Tears filled her beautiful blue eyes but she blinked and swiped them away. "Really easy for you to say, you have everything I had."
"Ignoring the unignorable fact that Conner isn't your true mate, you refused him, cut a line down his chest, and banished him away in a pool of blood."
"I didn't—I didn't know…"
"That he was right about your pack? That you were heading down a path toward destruction? Thing is, if he was really your mate, you would have known. The first hour not by his side would have been like torture. Even if you were mad at him, you wouldn't be able to not sleep in his bed because the idea of sleeping without his scent surrounding you would have been unbearable." Pippen separated the dough into three chunks. "I don't have to be your enemy. In fact, you don't even have to have enemies here. Our leaders, Felix, Luke, and Conner, have all done a pretty good job of turning this area into a friendly zone. But I can't make your choices for you. So no, nothing about you is up to me."
Adam and Bettina returned then, holding their hands in front of them like tiny surgeons going in for surgery.
"Are you guys ready to beat this dough into submission?"
***
Later that night, Pippen looked around the big table. Actually, it was all of the smaller tables pushed together, including the pool table. They'd needed every bit of space; it looked like the entire pack had come to dinner, a good sign. There were some missing faces, but Pippen was positive Felix and Conner would handle what their absences meant, and if they needed a little help, Pippen was ready to pitch in.
He patted his tiny baby bump and amended his earlier thought. After he gave birth, he would pitch in. Only Luke, Finn, Daryl, and Frannie were missing from the makeshift table. Felix had thought it best that their first dinner be just his pack, but had assured Pippen that the other four would be there the next time.
The calzones had been a hit and even more so once he told everyone Adam and Bettina had helped. The two were already being doted over by the shifters. There hadn't been any children in that pack for a long time and the presence of two adorable kids did wonders to the pack's morale. Even Andrea looked like she was in a great mood. She had stayed in the kitchen all afternoon with Pippen and the kids, not talking or helping, but quietly lingering. Even when more pack members showed up to help, she stayed at the fringes. Pippen thought perhaps she was trying to see where she could fit in. He hoped she was serious about wanting this new life but knew it would not be an easy road for her. Forgiving oneself for past mistakes was no easy job.
"I heard you earlier," Conner whispered into his ear.
"Stop bragging about your super senses." Pippen took a large bite. The mix of tomato sauce, cheese, and pepperoni was like heaven.
"You are amazing, Pippen." Conner put his arm around his shoulders, half hugging him. "Not a lot of shifters could be as strong as you, faced with what you've had to face. I'm not worthy."
"I know." Pippen smirked. "I think she could do really well here. Any word on Bettina's mother?"
Conner shook his head, grimly. "Nothing good. I haven't been able to talk directly to anyone from my old pack. The flowers I sent for my mother were returned. I think the pack has either imploded or is very near to it. Besides, Bettina hasn't said anything outright, but I don't get the feeling she really wants to see her mother right now. "
"I'm sorry, Conner." Pippen squeezed his knee comfortingly.
Conner sighed. "I am too. But I have you and Adam and now two packs to call friends and family. I am lucky. I do have a favor to ask. The child, when she or he is born, I'd like to name the baby after my mother or father. Rupert, if it is a boy, and Felicity, if it is a girl."
"Of course."
Chapter Fourteen
Conner watched his mate put the final touches on the nursery area at the downtown pack location. Over the past two months, the pack had transformed its headquarters. A seedy dive bar no longer, The Den, a family-oriented restaurant and pub had reopened to moderate success. Business had been very slow at first, but through mostly word of mouth and great food, they were doing better each day. Felix had also negotiated the purchase of the empty building next door, once the perfect place to sell drugs in front of, was now on its way to providing plenty of additional space for housing pack members who wanted to be close. Felix had many great ideas for building up the pack's infrastructure, but he left the implementing of those ideas to Conner. Conner excelled at the ground level, interacting directly with the shifters. So far, their unusual leadership structure had caused no grumbles among the pack members.
That did not mean Conner's life was without problems. The main one being Silas and how silent he'd been. He would know by now that his plan for Andrea to destroy his mating with Pippen had failed and Conner was not naive enough to think that meant Silas would just give up. Silas wanted him to fail at leading this pack, he wanted it to fall back into chaos so that some asshole could saunter in and lead it the old way. There was a lot on the line. And that wasn't even considering what Silas truly wanted.
Pippen waddled up to him. Conner would never tell him that he had waddled, but it would have been hard for him not to. Pippen had been a slim man and even though his body was just as beautiful now as it had ever been, it was beautiful in a different way.
"What are you worrying about?" Pippen asked, slipping an arm around Conner's waist.
Conner kissed his forehead. "Nothing that I need to bother you with, love. Have you spoken to Frannie about the baby shower?"
"You mean has she successfully cornered me? I tried to tell her I didn't want one, that shifters don't really do baby showers. She is relentless. It was funny when she was forcing a birthday party on Sorell, not as much when it's me. Did you know she won't even let me cook for it? She said they are going to order out."
Conner chuckled. That was surely something that would offend his culinary mate. "Do you want me to tell her to back off?"
"If I thought that would deter her, maybe. But it wouldn't. We'll go, get some free stuff out of it."
"If that's what you want." Conner thought Pippen was secretly excited for the event, but would never say that out loud either. "How was Andrea's first day?"
"Actually, great. She said she had waitressed before and after today I believe her."
"Do you know who will take over the kitchen while you are on leave?"
Pippen growled quietly and pulled out of his embrace.
"What do you want to do, Pippen, work while Felix delivers the baby?"
"Could we?"
"No. Love, no. You'll be surprised when little Felicity comes how much you want to be around her. When I had Adam, I…" Conner still wasn't completely comfortable talking about that time before Pippen. He found himself wishing he could experience it all over again, but with Pippen instead. Only then, Adam wouldn't have been the same and Con
ner couldn't trade him for anything.
Andrea had found a great preschool in the area. It wasn't shifter-friendly, but it wasn't shifter-unfriendly either. Most shifters didn't learn how to shift on purpose until puberty. Early shifting happened under extreme duress and Conner was doing his best to ensure that Adam never experienced anything like that.
"I don't mind that you've done all this before. It's nice actually, you are experienced so you know how important it is to go and get my ice cream when I ask you to."
Conner put his hands on Pippen's hips and kissed him slowly and softly. "Exactly, I'm experienced."
"And a little used."
"Hey!"
"I like them used."
Conner slid his palms from his hips to his bottom. "I'm okay with that." He tasted his lips once more and then pulled back far enough to place his flat palm over Pippen's rounded belly. "She's doing her karate again," he said with love in his voice.
Pippen winced. "More like gymnastics."
"I never got used to that feeling," Andrea said quietly from the doorway. Conner still couldn't believe how easily Andrea had been accepted by not just the downtown pack, but by Pippen. It just went to show that if one surrounds oneself with wonderful people, they will do wonderful things.
She had her waitressing apron hung over her shoulder and a pen stuck through her bun. "Sorry for barging in. I was going to go pick up Adam from preschool and was going to swing by the grocery store for some more smoothie ingredients."
Pippen tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I thought we could try those more tropical recipes you found? Definitely with a coconut water base."
"Don't tell me you are on this smoothie kick now, too?" Conner asked, though inside he was thrilled that his past and his present were able to come together on something, even if that something was a series of blended beverages that sometimes tasted so bad he had to pretend to drink them until he could spill some in the trash when no one was looking.
"I was thinking about introducing some blended items to the drink menu, maybe pair them off with the entrees, to up the sales."