by Ellis Leigh
And any man who tried to get between her and her mate would be wasting his time, but she didn’t say that. Instead, she grabbed her tea, bringing it to her lips as a distraction. As a reminder to herself of how good it felt to be kissed by Deus. “Some things are more important than beauty.”
He didn’t argue her point. One last sip as the man walked away, then Zoe was up and headed for the door. It was time to quit lamenting her missing lover and get to work. Evening had begun to settle in, the shadows deepening as her time in the coffee shop had passed. Just as she’d wanted them to. She needed to set aside thoughts of Deus for a few hours. She had a job to do—a snatch and grab of a ring in a private home. An alarmed, guarded private home. The challenge had intrigued her from the start, and the fact that the payout would be higher than any job she’d done in recent years had her practically salivating to earn that money. Fifteen minutes…all she needed was fifteen minutes and a little skill. Then she could lament her missing mate some more but with a much fuller bank account.
Zoe had a lot of time on her hands—might as well make some money while she waited for Deus to show back up.
Dressed to blend into the shadows, Zoe made her way down the street behind the house where she’d been directed for the job. She’d been staking out the place for two days, watching for patterns in the people who worked there, looking for the best way inside. She’d found it quite by accident—a cat she’d startled had shown a breach in the house’s security. A rat could fit through a hole the size of a quarter, a mouse one the size of a dime. Cats needed a bit more space, but not so much that a dog couldn’t follow them depending on breed and size.
Dog…or wolf.
Zoe cut through a yard and headed into the alley, angling her way toward her destination. She kept herself out of sight of the house right up until she stood close enough to touch it. Gangways between buildings were wonderful things—dark and quiet and rarely utilized. Unless someone needed to get to the wires leading inside the house.
It took her two minutes to disable the alarm system, another three to slip inside a basement window that had been left unlocked at some point. The one the cat had been using to get in and out. She’d had to partially shift to make it through the small space, but she’d done it. Barely.
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she worked her way up the stairs toward the first-floor library where she’d been told the ring would be stored. She sensed a presence in the house, one that was just far enough away for her not to get a good scent of. No one was supposed to be home at this hour, but there would be a guard on property. She assumed that was the person she sensed, and she did not want to run into him.
Quick, quick, quick. Get it done and get out.
She kept her steps soft and light, kept her body tucked against the walls in case someone surprised her. And yet, everything about the job felt easy. Too easy. Too simple, even. So she crept, and she fought to keep her heart from pounding out of her chest, and she let her wolf senses absorb as much as she could without shifting.
Still just the one presence. Still no scent. Still too easy to be safe.
Zoe made it to the darkened library without a sound, and without running into the guard either. As expected, the ring sat at the far end of the space in a glass case lit from above. The entire display made the ring appear to be a showpiece, something much more valued than simply for the stones and metal. Something that made the owner proud. Whether that was due to family history or some other sort of legend regarding the piece, Zoe didn’t care. She wasn’t being paid to care. She was being paid to retrieve the piece, so she would.
Still, the ring felt like more than a simple piece of jewelry to her. She could see the sparks from where she stood, could practically sense the weight of it in her palm. Just a few more minutes, and she’d have it. She’d be close enough to figure out why she couldn’t look away from it. Once she snatched that gorgeous bauble, she could get the hell out of there. She simply needed to take the ring, retrace her steps to the broken window in the basement, and disappear into the night. Almost done. Almost payday.
She crossed the library slowly, keeping an eye out for any sort of trap or sensor that would give her away. Nothing appeared obvious, but she still worried. Still fought her instincts that said something wasn’t right about this job. Fought to ignore the wolf chanting in her head. Too easy, too easy, too—
The lights popped on, and she spun, ready to run, to defend herself. To shift if she needed to.
“Go ahead.” Deus stood in the corner, smiling at her. Watching her. Zoe’s heart pounded louder, her wolf’s chant turning to a joyous howl. The beast practically danced on tiptoe, thrilled to be reunited with her mate. Zoe wanted to run to him, to throw herself into his arms and rub her scent all over him. But she stood stock-still, waiting. Knowing he had his own plans for her. Wanting to see what they were.
Deus’ smile grew as he watched her struggle. “Take it, Zoe. That’s what you’re here for.”
“And if I don’t?”
He pushed off the wall, keeping his eyes on hers and stalking closer. “Then I won’t get to ask you the question I’ve been obsessing over for the past seven days.”
By the fates, the man was going to kill her. Breathing hard, unable to keep her hands from shaking, she closed the distance between herself and the prize. She lifted the glass enclosure and set it on the floor before reaching out for the ring. She’d been right about the weight of it—there would be no forgetting about a ring such as this for the wearer. The feel of it in her hand soothed her, though. Felt right. And the ring…gorgeous. White gold or platinum, hard to tell, with a cushion-cut stone that positively gleamed. A total stunner, and a perfect piece in her opinion.
She tore her eyes away from the ring to watch Deus as he sauntered her way. He looked hungry and impatient, something she liked. Something that reminded her of sin and sex and lust. And he looked like her mate. To the end of time, no matter what happened, he would always be hers. She couldn’t wait to make that official. To tell him what she wanted. But Deus seemed focused on the ring, so she waited. When he finally reached her, he grabbed her hand, plucking the ring from her palm before lacing their fingers together. Holding on tight.
“It’s a human custom, I’m aware. But I like the idea of you wearing something that carries a claim in their world.” His smile turned cocky, his grip on her tightening. “Something that states my ownership of you.”
She fought back the urge to grab his face and kiss the fuck out of him. She also fought back the instinct to smack that arrogant grin off his lips. “No one owns me, Alaska.”
“Oh, I know that well, my beautiful mate. But I still like to think of you as mine.” Deus leaned in, planting his lips on hers and stealing a kiss that rocked her down to her toes. Whining, whimpering in the back of her throat, she clung to him as he licked his way inside and claimed her mouth. Hand on her ass, grip pulling her against him until she felt how hard and thick he was for her, Deus didn’t let up. He kissed her until she completely broke for him, until she wobbled and trembled with her need to be naked with him. With her desire to be filled by him. Taken by him. Claimed by him.
When he had her just as wild and out of control as he wanted her, Deus pulled away, dropping his voice into a husky, sensual sort of murmur that sent shock waves right to her clit. “Be mine, Zoe. Forever. Human world, shifter world—I don’t care so long as you’re by my side. Officially. If you’re not ready for a full claiming, let me give you this. The human equivalent.”
She didn’t care about human anything in that moment, though. All she cared about—all she could focus on—was that her mate was back. And she hadn’t known he was coming. “Where have you been?”
He huffed a laugh. “I knew you wouldn’t make things easy on me.”
“Deus—”
“There’s trouble with that pack in Alaska. We’ve been following them to try to get a bead on where they’ve stashed their females.”
&nb
sp; “Did you find them?”
“Not yet.”
“Which means you have to go back.”
“Yes, in a few days. I would have stayed, but Levi needed to get back to his mate, so Luc let me come home until we could replace him.”
“Levi?”
“Another Dire Wolf. He’s been following you since you left Texas.”
That…disturbed her and yet comforted her at the same time. He’d cared enough to have her tracked. “You sent someone to watch me?”
“Yes.” Straightforward. Confident. Unruffled by her obvious disbelief. Typical Deus.
“Why?”
“Because you’re my mate. I understood your desire to be home, which was why I’d told Bez never to stand in your way. But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t worried about you.”
“I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“No, you need someone to prove they’ll be there for you, and you need a ring on your finger to stop humans like the man at the coffee shop from thinking they have a chance.” He grabbed her hand and flipped it over, showing her the ring again. “I intend to give you both.”
“You saw that?”
“Yes, through their security feed. I almost felt bad for the poor guy—you looked spectacular as you sat there all distracted and alone. Now, quit stalling. Give me an answer, Zophiel. Tell me if you’ll be mine the way I want to be yours.”
Zoe couldn’t breathe. This was all so much and not enough. She wanted him more than anything, wanted forever at his side. Wanted the freedom that came with being claimed by a man like him. She’d never wanted anything more. So she stopped running away from her destiny.
“What if I want more?”
He frowned. “More diamonds?”
“No, more of you. What if I want it all?”
Deus blinked, his eyes growing darker. More wolflike. More animalistic. “Be specific. What is it you want?”
“You. Me. Mated.” Zoe rose on the balls of her feet to get closer to him, keeping her hands braced on his chest as she whispered, “Claim me, mate.”
Deus growled, his eyes turning silver. A sign of his Dire Wolf coming closer to the surface of his mind. Something she’d studied all week while she’d been missing him. Something that made her tremble inside with a strange sexual sort of fear. He was so much more than just a wolf shifter, so dominant and powerful, and she couldn’t wait to explore what all that meant. How strong he could be when they were together. How strong he would love her in the coming years.
How deep she would fall for him once they were tied together forever.
Deus grabbed her by the hips and tugged her against him, his voice somewhere close to a gravelly rumble as he said, “Mine now. All mine.”
She was. And she always would be. A thought which should have sent her running the other way, but she knew he would be hers just as much. He’d never force her into anything because he liked it when she called the shots. And she’d never be helpless again because she already knew how to stand on her own feet and fight for herself. Their mating might not have been as traditional as some, but she had a feeling it would work for them.
Hell, he might even like it if she ordered him around a little. Zoe figured it was a good time to find out.
“Show me how much,” she said, rubbing her body against his the way she’d been wanting to since she first saw him. Scenting him as hers. “Mark me, Deus. Claim me.”
He had her on the floor before she could blink, had her naked seconds later. Skin-on-skin, his warmth bleeding into her, he kissed every inch of her body, never letting go or backing away. Covering her right there on the library floor of her mark. Shit.
“We can’t,” she gasped, hating herself for even saying the words. “Not here.”
“We can.” He bit her nipple, causing her to buck, his heavy cock sliding to her entrance with the motion. “My Alpha owns this place. The job was a setup to get you here. Don’t worry—you’ll still get paid.”
“Oh.” She arched her back, angling to make him slide inside her. Wanting to feel him deep. “That was an asshole move, but I get it. And you should really up your security.”
“We’ll pay you to work on that for us.” He chuckled and rocked his hips, teasing her with his cock. Giving her the tip before backing away. “Are you ready for me, mate?”
Mate. That word made her body pulse with need for him, made her legs wrap themselves around him as if of their own volition. That word meant everything to her…and she had a feeling it would be the same for him. “I’ve been ready, mate.”
Deus thrust inside, one solid push embedding himself deep within her as he snarled out her name. Filling her with his body as he gave her everything he had. Zoe let him take a few minutes to find his rhythm, lifted her hips and fucked him back until he was a growling, sweating mess pounding into her. Then she raised her head, and she bit him right on the side of the neck. Breaking the skin and joining them forever in blood. Mating him.
Deus howled at the bite, his thrusts becoming uneven and rough, his head dropping down to return the bite. Claiming her as his as he fucked her across the floor. Their bond completed, she instantly felt more of him inside of her, sensed his essence and emotions along with her own, his pure love for her. His feelings ricocheted through and around hers, but Zoe focused on her own. On sending them his way. Making sure her love for him, her trust in him, was strong and true. Wanting him to feel just as much, to understand. To know that she meant it when she said she was his. Always.
They came together in a climax that left them both breathless and clingy. That rocked Zoe to the center of her soul and reset her perceptions of the entire world. At least for that moment. Right there on the floor, blood and sweat and come all mingling together, they held each other and let their newfound connection grow. Let it build. Let it tie them to one another for all eternity. Zoe finally understood why pack wolves took a Klunzad period. She could have lain with Deus forever in their post-mating afterglow.
At least until her hips started to complain about the hard floor underneath her. “Hey, Alaska?”
“Yeah, Beautiful?”
“Next time you feel the need to give me a claiming bite, let’s make sure there’s a bed nearby.”
He sat back, lifting his weight off her but giving her a lazy, satisfied sort of grin. “Next time?”
“Yeah.” She licked up the length of his neck, right over the bite she’d given him. Over the spot she couldn’t stop staring at. Hers. He was all hers. “I have a feeling I’m going to be marking your body for years to come.”
He rolled her on top of him, looking up at her with eyes filled with a devotion she could feel. “Mark me however you want. I’m yours.”
Zoe leaned down to press a soft kiss on his lips before rocking her hips to take him inside her once more. To start their mating all over again. “And I’m yours. So, take me, mate. Show me how much you need me.”
And he did. Many times. Though they never did make it to a bed that night.
Epilogue
Deus woke suddenly, the jerking of the plane as it landed pulling him from sleep without warning. The NYC skyline glittered far outside the window, but there. Right there. Fuck, it was good to be back on the East Coast. One more hour, maybe two if traffic sucked as much as he knew it could, and he’d be home. Back in the penthouse apartment he loved so much. The one he’d also begun to hate as the weeks had flown past. Not because the space had changed, but that he had. He’d found his fated mate—a woman who was just as independent after he’d claimed her as she had been before. And no matter how much he loved his neighborhood and apartment, if Zoe wasn’t in the space, he didn’t want to be there. The woman had been insistent on keeping her own place and dragging them back and forth based on whatever whims she seemed to have. She drove him crazy, and he loved every second of it.
The plane taxied into the hanger, and Deus hopped to his feet, heading for the door before they’d come to a full stop. It’d been eight days since he’d seen h
is mate. Eight long, lonely days of failure and frustration as he’d trekked all over the Brooks Range area with his Alpha in search of two women he couldn’t be sure even existed. Two women no one outside of the elusive pack in the area had ever seen.
But he’d put in his time and had waited as patiently as possible for another Dire brother to take over for him. All six Dires in the lower forty-eight were taking turns in the wilderness to help Luc search for the missing women. Two at a time, they’d fly up to Alaska, spend a week or so in the woods, then fly home as the next duo arrived. This had been his second trip up there, the entire Dire Wolf pack focusing on Luc’s obsession with finding these women instead of anything coming in from the NALB. The pressure to succeed, to calm their Alpha and give him what he obviously needed, had gotten intense. Deus didn’t know how much longer they could all keep going.
He’d also begun to wonder if there was something special about these women. Something that called to Luc’s wolf the way Zoe called to his. If his Alpha had somehow gotten close enough to his fated mate to sense their connection and was now seeking her out without even realizing it. That’s what fueled Deus to keep looking, to spend so much time away from his new mate—the idea that his Alpha had almost found his fated mate but would lose her before he ever met her. That sort of torture—the mental anguish of it all—could drive a wolf mad. No way could Deus leave Luc to that fate. No way any of the Dire brothers could.
So they hunted, and they followed Luc down whatever dark path his senses took them. And they all hoped for a positive outcome. Soon.
Carl, the pilot Deus preferred to fly with, came out of the cockpit and grabbed the handle to open the door of the plane, likely knowing how anxious his one passenger was to get the fuck out of the metal tube. “See you in a week?”
By the fates, he hoped not. “Probably. I’ll call the service and set up anything I need.”
“Of course, sir. Enjoy your time with your wife.”