Holden's Mate

by Meg Ripley

  “What’s that?” Her body trembled slightly. He didn’t know if it was from excitement or fear, but he wrapped his arms around her completely just in case.

  “In our world, dragons mate for life. They don’t get to choose their mates; destiny makes that choice for them. They know when they’ve met the right ones because of their reactions to them, and the way they make them feel.”

  Leah pushed gently at his chest, looking him in the eye. “What does that mean? Do you have someone at home that you’re supposed to be with?”

  He smiled at her innocence and shook his head. “No. I never had the chance, and I didn’t know what that reaction felt like. But from the moment I met you, I couldn’t control myself around you. My body demanded that I shift back to my natural form. It was a challenge to fight it until I was fortunate enough to have you in my home. Then I felt so calm and relaxed, like I never had before. When you left, I couldn’t stand the thought of what might happen to you if I wasn’t at your side. I sensed the danger you were in, and I had no choice but to come. That’s how I know you’re supposed to be my mate. I hope that doesn’t scare you.”

  She paused for a moment, thinking. “I was having a lot of difficulty with my powers. Nothing seemed to be working right. When I did that reading with you, it was like everything came flooding back to me all at once. It was scary, and it was so different that I thought there must be something wrong.”

  “What about now? What do you see in me?”

  Leah laid her hand against his neck, her thumb gently touching his pulse point. “It’s not as intense, but it’s still there. It’s like I can shut it down when I want to, but it’s never closed off to me like it had been.” She smiled, her eyes grazing up from his neck to meet his. “You balance me.”

  “Does that mean you feel it, too? That we’re meant to be together?” His very life was poised on her next words, and Holden felt that if he leaned forward too far he would fall right over. No woman had ever made him feel so dependent on her. If he’d thought about it before, he would have imagined that he hated feeling such a need. But he liked it. A lot.

  “I do, Holden. I—I love you.”

  That was all he needed. The two sides of him that had been warring for space in his life suddenly converged. He didn’t need to be a human or a dragon. He was always both, not matter how he seemed to outsiders. Most importantly, he was Leah’s mate and protector, and Finn’s father. Holden looked down into her eyes and knew he could become happily lost in them. “I love you, too.”

  Reaching behind her and flicking off the stove burner, he scooped his arms underneath her buttocks and lifted her from the floor. “And I need you. Desperately.”

  She kissed him as he held her, their tongues explaining it all to each other. Leah twined her arms and legs around him, holding on tight as he carried her to the couch.

  Holden knew he could find the bedroom in the small apartment, but he couldn’t possibly wait that long. He needed her now. He sat down on the cushions, her legs still tangled around him, and began pulling at her clothes.

  Leah easily slipped out of her shirt, and Holden took a moment to admire her breasts while her black lacey bra still cupped them. He didn’t always understand humans—not yet—but he could certainly appreciate the way Leah dressed. Her softness was the antithesis to his hardness, and he wanted to bury every part of his body in it.

  She seemed to understand, and as soon as his jeans were on the floor Leah pierced herself on him. She was warm and wet, ready for him, and her thighs tightened pleasantly around his as she moved herself up and down on his shaft. He grabbed her waist and watched the pleasant bouncing of her breasts as she worked, then he pulled her gently so that they smothered his face.

  “I really was an idiot,” Leah breathed, arching her back to comply with his wishes.

  “What do you mean?” He could never think of her that way. She was beautiful, smart, and knowing. She was everything, and he would never get enough of her.

  “I might have deprived myself of this. If you hadn’t come back here, I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to be with you.” Leah moaned as her core tightened around his member.

  Holden grunted his appreciation. She felt so fucking good, and he had to admit he liked the idea of her being on top of him like this. He was the dominant type, and he would do everything in his power to make sure that he performed his duties as Leah’s protector and mate, but she could do whatever she wanted to him. He snatched up her nipple in his mouth, sucked it until it was hard, and then let it go. “I wouldn’t have let you. I couldn’t just let you run away from me. I would have done whatever it took to make you understand what I had seen in us.”

  “Maybe that’s one of the reasons you’re so good for me. You see what I need even when I can’t.” She tipped her head back, and her dark curls fell enticingly down her back.

  Holden took them in his hands, pulling gently. The action pressed her breasts harder into his face, and Holden felt the heat at his core increase. Leah cried out her pleasure. Her hair almost came down to her ass in this position, and he enjoyed the way her flesh bumped against the sides of his hands. He slid one finger down in the crevice between her cheeks, touching her in her most private place.

  Leah’s body stiffened under his hands. For a moment, he thought he had made a mistake. But she clamped her hands behind his shoulders and pounded her hips down onto him, burying his sword to the hilt inside her sheath. She slammed into him, extracting her pleasure as her walls convulsed around him. He had worked her into a frenzy, and he was reaping the benefits as her juices flowed around him.

  “I’m sorry,” she panted as she slowed down, holding onto him for dear life.

  “For what?” he whispered against her neck. “For taking what you need?”

  Leah nodded, small shivers running through her body as she continued to pulse slowly on his lap.

  He could make her come again, and he knew it. If there was one thing he had learned from their experience the night before, it was that there was no greater satisfaction that pleasuring her. “Don’t be. You take everything you want, because I promise you I’ll take mine as well.”

  With one easy movement, he maneuvered her off him and slid off the couch. Holden pulled her down onto the floor with him and arranged her so that she was bent over the coffee table, that round ass of hers in air. He punctured her from behind, moving slowly at first to make sure she liked it.

  Leah reached back, grabbed his hand, and gently brought it around to rest on her center of pleasure. Holden understood, and he moved his fingers in time to the rhythm of his hips. As he had predicted, it took no time at all for her to come again. She was a ripe fruit, ready for him to pluck at any time. She called his name as she climaxed, letting him know that he was the only one who could do this to her.

  He closed his eyes as her walls spasmed around him. Fully engorged, the friction between them was incredible. Holden felt his entire body tighten just before he exploded inside her. His muscles drained of all energy as he gave it to Leah, and she owned him completely.

  They collapsed on the floor together, their naked bodies an enjoyable knot as they held onto each other. He brushed aside her hair so he could kiss her forehead, her cheeks, her chin, her nose. “Leah, I knew when I came to Earth that I would have to find my mate, the woman who could tame the dragon inside me and make me the person I was meant to be. I never thought it could truly happen with a human, but you’ve proven me wrong. So completely wrong.” He wouldn’t have admitted it to anybody else, but he couldn’t help but reveal his innermost secrets to her. With just a little more time, she would come to know everything about him.

  She laid her head on his chest, and he could feel the contraction of her cheek as she smiled. “That’s quite a lot to live up to.”

  “I think you can do it.”

  Leah moved her head so that she could look up at him. Her eyes shone, and she was easily the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Even the sunrises on
Charok couldn’t compare to her. “Can you stay with me tonight?”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He stood and reached out his hand to help her off the floor, and she led him to the bedroom.

  Epilogue

  Leah sang along with the radio as she cruised down the highway. It was a much longer commute home than when she had been able to just jog up the stairs to her apartment, but she was finding ways to enjoy it. It was nice to have a little bit of time to herself with nothing to think about, and it helped create an even bigger separation between her work and her home. As much as she enjoyed doing readings for people, she needed to have some downtime.

  And her clients had noticed the difference. There seemed to be a steadier stream of walk-in traffic lately. Some even called ahead to make appointments. Not since Josey had anybody refused to pay or stopped her in the middle of a reading. Instead, they wanted it to keep going, gobbling up all the information Leah was able to give them.

  The fog that had come down over her after her divorce from Victor seemed to be permanently lifted. It had been almost painful when those celestial doors had slammed in her face and cut her off from her powers, but as the time wore on, she realized she didn’t need to worry about it anymore. She was centered and balanced, and she gave the best readings she ever had in her life.

  “Your reputation has been on fire lately,” Autumn had told her on the phone one night. “I heard a couple of ladies in my shop talking about you. One of them said you could tell her dog Skippy had been sick lately, and she hadn’t said anything to give it away. I know that’s a small thing, but it really impresses them.”

  Leah had laughed. “I’m not trying to impress them. I’m just doing what I do.”

  “Well, keep on doing it, girl. It’s working.”

  And it really was. Leah had converted the upstairs apartment to an expanded reading space, where she could let her clients come in and truly relax while they received her services. There was something about being moved a little further off the street and away from the public eye that made their minds more willing to open up to hers. It made it a simple task to give advice based on her visions. Most people wanted to know about love and relationships. Now that she was in a healthy, stable relationship, she felt more than qualified to give it.

  Pulling into the garage, Leah could tell as soon as she walked in the door that the house was empty. She moved through the kitchen and out the back door to find Holden and Finn in the backyard. The boy toddled through the grass, trying to kick at a large orange ball. He missed most of the time, but he laughed and clapped every time he managed to bump it with his foot.

  “How are my two favorite guys?” she called out as she stepped off the deck.

  Finn looked up. The look of curiosity on his face instantly changed to one of glee. “La La! Mama!”

  She scooped him up out of the grass and held him to her chest. Finn’s pudgy little arms wrapped around her as much as they could, and he planted a big wet kiss on her cheek. Leah’s heart ripped right out of her chest and wrapped itself around his tiny finger. She’d been so busy focusing on enhancing her powers and building her career that she hadn’t thought much about starting a family. Now that she had a son, she didn’t know how she had ever lived without him.

  Holden came up behind her and wrapped his strong arms around the both of them. He kissed her other cheek. “We’re glad you’re home. I plan on grilling up some barbecued chicken.”

  She leaned into him, never tired of the broadness of his chest or the strength of his shoulders under her head. Holden was her anchor, and he kept her from lashing about like an abandoned boat when the seas got stormy. She had made the mistake before of thinking it would take someone “normal” to do that, someone without any powers or real understanding of them. But it turned out that she needed someone who wasn’t even quite human, and that was one of the many things she loved about him. “You spoil me. I’m never going to want to cook for myself again.”

  “Maybe I like spoiling you.” He let go, and Leah set Finn down to continue playing in the lush grass. “You deserve it, and I’d like to spoil you even more tonight.”

  “Oh?”

  “There’s a charity ball this weekend, and I bought two tickets. I thought it would be nice if we got to go out and do something a little special. Dinner and drinks are included. Besides, I’d really like to see you in a long black dress.” He raked his eyes down her body and pulled her close.

  “Dinner, drinks, and dancing? It doesn’t sound like it could get any more romantic than that.” Leah looked up at him, soaking him in. With that dark hair, square jaw, and dancing blue eyes, he was easily the most beautiful man she had ever seen.

  And he was all hers.

  His hand moved under the back of her shirt, pressing suggestively at her skin. “And then we can come home and make a little romance of our own.” He kissed her soundly, hinting at everything they would do when the ball was over. Their lovemaking sessions had become a regular part of their lives, and Leah had found that she almost couldn’t sleep unless she had at least a little private time with him. It wouldn’t take a sparkling dress and a night on the town to arouse his interest, and Leah knew that he would whisk her up to the bedroom as soon as he had a chance. “I thought it would be a nice way to celebrate the release of your new book.”

  Those were words she never thought she would hear only a few months ago. It had been a difficult start on the second book while she still dealt with her hurt feelings over Victor and trying to understand why she kept running into the same handsome stranger. But Holden’s support had given her the mental space she needed to focus her energies. Leah’s agent swore that Trust Your Instincts was going to be the next bestseller. Even if it wasn’t, it still felt like a huge accomplishment that not only validated her beliefs, but her career.

  She glanced down at Finn, but he was too busy with the ball to pay any attention to them. The three of them made a beautiful family, and it was one she cherished. She loved her time at work, but she was just as eager to come home for snuggles and playtime.

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  THE END

  Steamy Shifter Romance Extras From Meg

  Part I

  Tempted By Fire

  Dragons Of The Darkblood Secret Society

  1

  Dirk Bennett’s eyes flew open. It was still dark, or at least the thick curtains over his windows were keeping out the light from the morning sun. He’d been dreaming, but it had been so real. He searched his mind, trying to grasp at the last few wisps of imagery. There had been something special going on in that dream, the kind of thing he wanted to hold onto to pull into reality. But it slipped through his fingers and was gone, leaving him with only a vague sense of discovery and loss. Dirk’s alarm sounded, causing the last vestiges of the dream to vanish like fog in the heat of day.

  The scent of coffee drifted through the house. Dirk could afford—and owned—a lot of nice things, but what he appreciated the most was his basic coffee pot with a programmable timer. It wasn’t anything new or flashy, and it hadn’t even been all that expensive, but there was something special about the scent of the hot liquid filling the apartment, beckoning him to the waking world. It didn’t necessarily make him dance his way to work, but it still helped.

  He swiped irritably at the screen on his Cobalt Computers tablet, turning off the alarm, and continued to lay in bed. Dirk tried to remember what day it was and what he had going on. He’d been in such a heavy sleep that it took him a moment to regain his mind, but his schedule soon came flooding back to him. It would be a day of meeting after meeting, handshake after handshake. As the son of the oil magnate Reginald Bennett, Dirk would be pressing the palms of politicians and easing the minds of worried dealers. He would wheel and deal and sweet talk his way into and out of numerous situations.

  Heaving himself out of bed and whisking the curtains back to reveal the brilliant sunlight, Dirk ran his hands over his fac
e and padded to the bathroom to shower. As the cool water woke him up a little more, he remembered the other meeting scheduled for the day over breakfast. He moved a little faster to finish getting ready, dashing naked to the kitchen pour a mug of coffee before retreating back to his bedroom to get dressed.

  With his custom Fioravanti suit and Gucci loafers, Dirk checked his email on his phone as he rode the elevator down to the first floor. He glanced up when a woman got on at the fifteenth floor and smiled. He hadn’t seen her around the building before, but her dark, sleek hair and curvy figure were alluring. She gave him a smile and a small nod as she turned to lean against the wall of the elevator. Dirk noticed the shining diamond ring on her finger, but it didn’t concern him; he had found that married women were just as happy to line up at his door as the single ones—sometimes, even more so.

  If it hadn’t been for the meeting, he would have struck up a conversation that started in the elevator, continued in the lobby, and flowed right over into breakfast until they were back at his place. But he already had a breakfast date, and it was one he couldn’t miss.

  Arriving at the parking garage, Dirk strode confidently toward his designated spot. Businessmen in suits were getting into their vehicles all around him and heading to work. As he circled around to the lower floors of the garage, he saw the dogwalkers and nannies arriving in their vans and on bicycles. It was a busy building, and that was just the way he liked it. Everyone always had something to do.

  He tapped the steering wheel of his Ferrari as he waited for traffic to clear out on the street. On most days, Dirk didn’t worry about being late to the office. He could flash his father’s secretary a quick smile and nothing would be mentioned. But it would be different today, and he wanted it to be. He had been looking forward to this meeting for the past week, and he felt a ripple of excitement through his veins as he once again thought about all the research he had done.