“A little wider, detka. I’m going to move between your legs.”
As Mischa moved, Gwen did as he asked. He never pressed on her. She was free to move as she pleased.
“Look at me, Gwen. See me.” Mischa dipped his head and licked up her slit. Then he opened the petals of her flesh and blew lightly across.
Gwen dug her nails into the covers. She trembled. Her body continued to leak.
“Mischa, please.”
“I know, detka.” He licked, again. This time grazing the bundle of nerves that grew with her excitement.
Gwen moaned. Mischa pushed his tongue in deeply and then sucked at her juices before pulling back and flicking his tongue over her clit. Her body bucked with each pass. Over and over again, he teased her.
She gripped the covers in her fists, trying to hold on, but to what she wasn’t sure. Tighter and tighter her body wound. More and more, until Gwen feared she would break apart. Mischa sucked her clit into his mouth, pulling sharply.
Gwen screamed as a wave of bliss drowned her. She shuddered. Her body bucked against Mischa’s face. Tears trickled from her eyes. She floated in heaven, free from concern. Wrapped securely in Mischa’s love.
She blinked her eyes open in the room at the Alpha’s lodge. Mischa groaned and his scent intensified as a sticky substance splashed her back. He buried his face in her fur and his breathing evened out. Gwen’s wolf gave a sigh of contentment and Gwen was surprised to find she felt the same way. She let herself drift off remembering the bliss that had overtaken her.
§
Gwen awoke to the sun shining in her eyes. She’d forgotten to close the curtains last night. Mischa still breathed deeply. Gwen slipped from the bed and padded into the bathroom, pushing the door closed with her nose. She shifted and turned on the shower. Her skin sticky, she wanted to feel clean.
The hot water rained down her back and she grabbed the soap making quick work of washing her body. Rinsing, she grabbed the shampoo and began to work on her long hair. As she massaged her scalp, she thought about last night. They had done it, had sex, sort of, and she hadn’t been afraid once. Of course, there hadn’t been any penetration, but that wasn’t the point. She had desired Mischa, responded to him and wanted him. In fact, she wanted him again. She could do it, she could mate Mischa. Gwen did a little victory dance in the shower as she rinsed her hair. Everything would be fine.
She got out of the shower and quickly dried off before reaching for her bag. Slipping on clean clothes, she hummed a happy tune she’d heard on the radio. Noise from the bedroom signaled Mischa waking, so Gwen grabbed her comb and walked out to leave the bathroom free.
“Good morning. You look beautiful.” Mischa sat up in bed. Gwen enjoyed the view as she sat to comb out her hair.
“Thank you. The shower is free.”
“I’m sorry about last night.”
“Sorry?” Gwen frowned. Was he disappointed in her?
“I didn’t realize the dream would be a wet one. I hope I didn’t get you too messy.”
“Oh, that. My wolf liked that you came.”
“What about you?”
“I liked last night too. We should do it again.”
“I agree.” Mischa climbed from the bed and kissed her on the nose.
“I mean awake, this time.”
Mischa paused at the bathroom door. “Are you sure? I thought we should move slowly.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine. We should try tonight. Maybe take a run as wolves and then come back to bed.”
“It would be my greatest pleasure. Let me get my shower.”
“I’ll have to tell Rosie we need clean sheets.” Gwen finished her hair and placed the comb on the nightstand.
“I know where they are. I’ll change the bed before I come down to breakfast. Go ahead if you want. You don’t have to wait for me.”
“Okay, I’ll see you downstairs.” Gwen watched Mischa close the door and then went to the kitchen. She couldn’t stop smiling and thinking about last night.
Chapter Six
Mischa couldn’t stop watching his mate. She glowed. She’d even held hands with him and kissed him while they took a walk in the gardens in the afternoon. Now at dinner, she talked freely with Grigori and Tolya about who might be behind the warning note left at her apartment.
Grigori insisted that Gwen should stay at the lodge until Lewis got a lead on the culprit. Mischa wasn’t sure she would follow the Alpha’s orders, but he wasn’t leaving her alone until he knew she was safe.
“I wish I knew what they’re worried about.” Gwen shook her head.
“What do you mean, Gwen,” Grigori asked.
“Mischa suggested that I must know something someone is worried about, and that’s why they want me to leave London.”
“Hmm, he might have a point. I worry that Solovyov Security is somehow in jeopardy. This all started with the security codes to those two government buildings.” Grigori glanced at Brencis. They both frowned at the thought.
“I looked into that,” Gwen said. “There isn’t anything worth stealing in those buildings. Nothing that couldn’t be acquired elsewhere with less work.”
“What about the buildings next door?” Tolya asked.
“What do you mean?” Mischa asked.
“Well, maybe they wanted to use the government buildings as an entrance into the building next door.”
“Why would they do that?” Brencis asked. “The buildings next door would be easier to enter than a government building.”
“It was just a thought.” Tolya shrugged. “Saw it in a movie once.”
Dinner was soon followed by dessert and then Rosie began clearing the table. Gwen stacked the plates and Mischa carried them into the kitchen.
“You two love birds go on. I’ll take care of the dishes.” Rosie began to stack the dishes into the dishwasher.
“That’s not fair, Rosie. We can help.” Gwen handed her the bowls from dessert.
“You two haven’t been able to take your eyes off each other all day. It’s okay. I’ve got this.”
“You did promise to go running with me tonight,” Mischa reminded.
“Okay. If you’re sure, Rosie.” Gwen’s cheeks reddened.
“Yes, yes. Go on, it’s a beautiful evening.”
Mischa held out his hand and was glad when Gwen trusted him with hers. “Let’s go upstairs and disrobe. Then we won’t have to worry about retrieving our clothes when we return.”
“I’ll race you.” Gwen broke free and ran up the back stairs.
“What are you waiting for?” Rosie asked. “Go after her.”
Mischa ran up the stairs.
§
Gwen let her wolf loose and ran. Mischa followed and the chase began. Through the woods the two wolves tore, leaping logs and jumping the creek. Gwen ran around trees and bushes, trying to slow Mischa’s progress. Her muzzle pulled back from her teeth in a wolfy grin. Delight filled her senses with the smells of forest, small animals, and a warm summer evening. Her paws pounded on the ground while her ears picked up the minutest sound. Time to play in their own little world.
Gwen veered left taking a pathway that led toward the house and entered a small glade. She stopped in the middle of the circle of trees and called the shift. Standing in the moonlight, she waited for her lover, her mate.
Mischa ran from the path into the meadow. Upon seeing her, he pushed out with his front paws trying to slow his speed. White lights surrounded him as he skid closer to Gwen. She braced for impact when strong arms wrapped around her and she fell to the ground. Mischa protected her head with his hand as his mouth sought hers in a fiery kiss. His weight pushed her on the hard ground. Fear suddenly rose in a wave of panic. Her vision blurred as she began to struggle.
“No! Stop! Don’t!”
Meaty hands grabbed at her flesh. Chuck’s leering face filled her vision. She fought back. Calling her wolf to her, she flipped the rapist off. Her wolf lunged at him, snapping at his face. Ra
ge filled her. She’d kill him.
“Gwen. It’s me. Gwen!”
She went for his throat but his arms blocked her. She sank her teeth into his forearm.
“Gwen. Don’t do this. It’s me. Mischa. Come back to me, detka.”
Her wolf whimpered. Gwen tried for his throat again. Chuck wasn’t going to rape her. Her wolf quivered. Confused.
“Gwen. Please don’t do this. Come back.”
Why was her wolf fighting her? The red faded from her gaze. The smell of blood filled her nose. She tasted blood on her tongue. She looked down to see . . . Mischa.
“NO!” Gwen screamed telepathically. She jumped back. Her tail between her legs, she stared at her mate. She’d become a monster. Not the wolf, her . . . Gwen.
She howled forlornly at the night sky. She couldn’t look at him. He must hate her. She ran.
§
“Gwen,” Mischa called to her.
He struggled to sit up without getting dirt on his punctured arm. This was his fault. He knew she wasn’t ready for this. He gripped his arm, putting pressure on the wound. Blood dripped down and ran onto his chest.
“Are you all right?” Grigori ran up. “I heard Gwen’s howl. You need to shift and heal that bite.”
“This is my fault. I knew she wasn’t ready to try real sex, but she was so happy all day. I thought maybe I was wrong. She’s so strong.”
“This isn’t your fault. Shift. You’re bleeding all over the place.”
Mischa called the shift. His wolf appeared out of the swirling lights. His front leg was a little sore, but the bite marks were gone and the wound healed.
“Let’s go inside. Gwen is in her room. I’ve told the pack to make sure she doesn’t leave the house.” Grigori headed down the path, his hand resting on Mischa’s wolf’s neck.
Sadness swamped Mischa, he wanted to curl up and die. His head hung and his sides heaved as grief overwhelmed him. His tail swung low as he put one paw in front of the other.
“Don’t give in to the heartache. You need to stay strong for Gwen.”
Mischa sighed. Grigori was right. Wait, some of this anguish came from Gwen. The mating bond was wide open. Mischa stopped in his tracks. This was his chance to help his mate.
He followed the mating bond link in his mind, flowing through space until he entered Gwen’s thoughts. She lay on the bed crying. Beating herself up for hurting him.
Mischa didn’t stop to reassure her. He went hunting. He found her memories of the attack. He pushed on her awareness, feeding her exhaustion. She slowly succumbed and fell asleep.
Mischa took her memories of the rape and blurred them. He released the pain as much as he could until only a dull ache remained. Then he pushed the memories back under the layers of counseling Gwen had received, and again under the martial arts and self-defense training.
She might hate him when she found out, but Gwen didn’t deserve to suffer. Whether she picked him as her mate or not, he wanted Gwen to be happy and whole. He surrounded her consciousness with love and reassurance.
“It’s okay, detka. It’s going to be okay. Sleep now. We’ll talk when you wake up.”
“She could get extremely angry at what you just did.” Grigori patted him on the ruff. “Come on. Let’s get inside. I would have done the same thing, just so you know. I have an idea that might help you. With the mating bond blown open because of the attack, it’s important you cement it into place as soon as possible. How do you feel about restraints?”
“Sex play? Gwen couldn’t handle being tied down. My weight on her is what set off her flashback.”
“Not for Gwen, for you. Your wolf might have a hard time with it. I know it would go against your natural wild temperament. Could you be submissive to Gwen in the bedroom?”
Mischa thought about it. If she needed to tie him up to feel safe. He’d do it. For her.
“I’d do anything for Gwen.”
“I hoped you’d say that. I ordered some items for you. As soon as we’re back at the house, I’ll get them.”
§
Gwen pushed her hair from her face. Mischa stood naked at the foot of the bed.
“Am I dreaming?” She was glad to see his arm healed. She dropped her eyes. Would he yell at her?
“No, milaya. This isn’t a dream. We can’t let Chuck win, Gwen. We need to fuse our bond, tonight.”
“But I hurt you. I could have killed you. I wanted to kill . . .”
“I know, detka. But our bond is wide open. In order for it to stay that way, we have to finish the mating. Do you trust me? I have an idea how to make this work.” Mischa held up what looked like leather cuffs.
Gwen sat up in bed, shaking her head. “I can’t Mischa. I just can’t.”
“Not to worry, lyubov moya. The restraints are for me.”
“You?”
“Yes. I trust you, Gwen. I’m giving you total control. Do you think you could make love to me?”
“I don’t know . . .”
“It’s okay. I’ll help you where I can. Here, let’s get these cuffs on me and let’s see if we can do this.”
Could she do it? Mischa offered a partnership. One Gwen didn’t deserve. Love flowed through the mating bond, filling her with warmth. Mischa would give her complete control to lock the bond in place. She couldn’t let him down, not after what she almost did. He offered her one of the cuffs to buckle on his wrist. He’d already put them on his ankles.
“These clips will attach to the headboard and footboard. I’ll try not to pull too hard against them. I wouldn’t want Melisande mad at me for breaking the bed.” Mischa smiled at her and chuckled.
The ache in her chest eased. She finished buckling the last cuff on his wrist.
“Okay, I’m going to lie on the bed. You clip the cuffs.” Mischa crawled onto the bed and waited for Gwen to move. She hesitated.
“Are you sure?”
“I’d do anything for you, Gwen. Being restrained is new to me, but I’m sure it’ll be fine. I might even like it. Fix the clips.”
Gwen nodded and attached the clips to the metal headboard and straps from the footboard. “Are you comfortable?”
“Yes. Now come here and touch me.”
Gwen climbed on the bed. She sat on her knees next to Mischa’s thighs.
“If we’re going to make love, it might be easier if you’re undressed.”
Gwen glanced down at the soft T-shirt and yoga pants she put on when she returned from the woods. She lifted off the shirt and threw it on the floor before reaching for her pants. Mischa’s eyes followed her every move. Desire flowed through the mating bond. Gwen paused. Her skin pebbled. She wanted him to want her. She stood on the bed and shimmied the pants down her legs before kicking them off the bed.
Mischa chuckled. “Nice.”
There was a rise in a certain part of his anatomy. She stepped over his thighs and lowered herself to sit on him just below his erection. Warmth and desire flowed into her through the mating bond, mixing with the love from earlier, a heady cocktail. Gwen’s inhibitions fell away.
She leaned down and kissed him. Licking and sucking, she pulled his lower lip into her mouth. Mischa groaned. More desire flowed into the mating bond, feeding her own. Gwen sighed, completely relaxed. She continued to kiss Mischa’s mouth and then his jaw and down to his neck. Gwen sucked and licked at the point where his neck met his shoulder. Mischa hummed and tilted his head.
“Do it!” Mischa exclaimed. “Mark me.”
The wolf rose to the surface begging Gwen to mark her mate. Her canines ached. She bit down breaking the skin.
Mischa moaned. “I’m yours now, Gwen. All yours.”
Gwen smiled and licked at the drops of blood until they stopped.
“Yes, you are. Forevermore.” Her wolf liked the idea immensely.
She kissed his chest and loved how his chest hair tickled her nose. She took his scent deeply into her lungs. Memorizing each note of his woodsy smell.
Finding a nipple,
she licked and sucked at the little nubbin. Pleased when it grew harder and extended. More desire flowed from Mischa and mixed with her own. She did want him. He was beautiful both in body and spirit. Of course, she desired him. She moved to the second nipple, giving it the same treatment. Mischa moaned. An answering warmth spread between her thighs. Mischa’s pleasure fueled her own. She kissed lower. Her hand cupped his balls. She squeezed lightly feeling the small spheres move around in his sack. A drop of liquid appeared on the head of his penis. Curious, she leaned down and licked it off. Mischa groaned.
“Gwen, the first time I need to be inside you. We need to tie the bond in place.”
Gwen nodded. He tasted salty. She leaned down and licked again. More yearning filled her. Her nipples lengthened and more liquid gathered between her legs.
“Detka, I’m afraid I can’t take much more. You need to take me inside you.”
Gwen ran her hands up and down his shaft. His skin was soft, but underneath a rod of steel. Suddenly, the feeling of being violated surfaced.
“Gwen, stay with me. I’m right here. See me!” Mischa sent into her mind.
The memory broke up and floated away. Mischa looked at her, love filling his gaze and flowing to her through the mating bond. She was once again in the here and now. She loved Mischa. She wanted to be connected to him forever.
She pumped his shaft and then lifted and moved forward positioning him to fill her. She slowly sank down. Taking him inch by inch. More desire filled her. Mischa groaned.
“That’s right, detka. Take me. I belong to you.”
Gwen tensed, but there was no pain. In fact, it felt good. This was Mischa, her mate. She wanted to take him. She suddenly dropped the rest of the way. Mischa pulled against the restraints. Fire licked at her insides. Her wolf howled in triumph. Mischa was hers and she wanted all of him. She rose and pushed down. Mischa moaned. The feelings of pleasure magnified. More, she needed more. She did it again, setting a rhythm.
Up and down, feeding the pleasure, multiplying the desire. Gwen pushed against Mischa’s chest to get more leverage. He began to push up as much as he could while being restrained. They connected with her every downward stroke. Their skin glistened. Gwen couldn’t stop. She needed to come.
Lycan's Mate: Book Twelve of the Siberian Volkov Pack Romance Series Page 7