Fighting for her Mate: Shape Shifter Paranormal Romance (Sassy Mates Book 5)

by Milly Taiden

  Aric’s father smiled. “But not tonight, dear. Not tonight.”

  Two others joined the group. Caleb dragged Ellie with him and threw an arm around his father being held up by Emma and Jordan. Tristan sucked in a sharp breath. “Conly, oh my god, you’re alive.” He looked at his wife. “He’s alive, right. I’m not seeing dead people now, am I?”

  Barbara patted him on the chest. “No, dear. He appears living to me.”

  Tristan carefully put an arm around the frail man and gave a soft tap. “You look like shit, man. You need a lot of doctoring to get healthy again. I can’t wait to hear this story.” Tristan popped is chin toward the medical crew as Aric took the other side of Conly. “Let’s take him to the ambulance and have them check him in. Once he regains his strength, he’ll be fine.”

  Caleb heard his father-in-law say, “Man, do you know Glen Fry of the Eagles died? No more tequila nights for us. And that race car, I still got it in the garage…” His voice faded as more distance filled the space between Caleb and the three alphas headed toward the ambulance. Tristan was the perfect alpha and friend.

  Nate joined the group. “I’m headed home to see Karla and the babies. We’ll call you later this morning.”

  Tired and beat to hell, the others agreed that going home and talking later worked perfectly. All mates, hand in hand, shuffled toward the parking lot. Caleb heard his name called. Lael waved at him. He told Ellie to go on, he’d catch up in a moment.

  “What’s up, Lael?”

  “I’m glad you’re fine, but I knew you would be, so I wasn’t worried. Anyway, you need to keep on your toes. Don’t assume there isn’t danger lurking in the shadows.” She glanced toward Ellie, smiled, and turned back to Caleb. “You’ve got your own family to watch out for now. Keep your guard up. I gotta help close down the bar, so see y’all later.” She jogged away.

  Caleb needed a minute for the words to set in. Then a jolt of electricity shot through him. “Lael, wait. What do you mean my own family?” She waved a hand overhead as she disappeared into the dark.

  THIRTY-ONE

  Ellie rubbed oil over her skin and smiled at the scene of their bathtub. Caleb had done one hell of a job once she’d healed, trying to pamper her. There were candles all over their bathroom, a glass of her favorite wine, and soft lighting. The man knew how to work it so he could get some. She laughed at her own thoughts. Like he’d have to do much to get her to give it up. Being in heat had him doing all kinds of things to be at her side. Down to getting her spaghetti whenever she pouted.

  He even thought he’d gotten away with secretly hiring someone to build them a small cabin while a brand new alpha house was constructed. For so long, she hadn’t believed this could be possible. Him and her, together and not having to worry about Rocco.

  She left the bathroom with her glass of wine in hand and stood at the open doorway for a second, waiting to watch her husband’s reaction. He was busy fixing flowers on a dresser. Flowers that had not been there before. He’d gotten to know how much she loved tulips, especially the blue ones. He’d made it his business to find them for her.

  It took a second before the breeze from the open window carried her scent to him, and he stopped and turned to face her.

  She’d waited so long for this. Them, alone in their own home. Even if this was a temporary place, she was finally with him.

  “How are you feeling?” He licked his lips.

  She saw the brightness of his animal light in his eyes, roaming down her naked body. “I feel like you owe me something.”

  He raised his brows. “Oh yeah? What’s that, sweetheart?”

  “A mating.”

  He gripped the dresser hard. She wondered when the wood would splinter from the force he was clearly putting on it. Heck, his knuckles had turned white. “I don’t know if now’s the right time, Ellie. With everything you’ve been through—”

  She shook her head and took soft steps toward him, her eyes never leaving his. “No, this is where you’re mistaken, husband.” She stopped in front of him and raked her nails down his shirt, bunching the material and sliding her hands under it to feel his hot, muscled chest. “I didn’t just spend hours shaving for nothing.”

  He barked a chuckle at her pout. “Hours shaving? What, do you have a Brazilian rainforest for legs?”

  She tugged his shirt off and gripped his shoulders. “It will be okay, baby,” she teased. “I’ll prove it to you.”

  He leaned down and meshed their lips together into a kiss so hot, so raw, it melted her from the inside. She pulled away, licking his jaw and that short beard that drove her absolutely crazy. She moved down his torso, placing kisses and hungry bites on his abs and down his hip. On her knees, she got a chance to caress his cock with her fingers. The gentle massage got a groan out of him. He stood still, his body tense, almost vibrating.

  “Ah, Ellie. You know just what to do to get me to lose my mind. Do it,” he urged, sliding his fingers into her hair and gripping her strands hard. “Suck my dick.”

  She wrapped a hand around his length as her head lowered to cover the head of his cock with her lips. He was velvety soft, but steel hard and smoking hot. With a flick of her tongue, she licked off the bead of moisture at the tip, moaning. She loved the way he groaned and thrust his hips forward.

  “Ah, baby girl. Open wide and take me. I want to see your spit coating my dick,” he grunted as he urged his length into her mouth. “I want to see it disappear into your mouth.” He gripped her hair tighter. “That’s it, sweetheart. Let me watch my cock fuck your beautiful lips.”

  She sucked him deeply, slowly pulling her head back and leaving a trail of wetness over his dick. Then she sucked him in again, using one hand to fondle his balls and the other to grab his ass. Warmth curled in her belly and traveled to her sex, dripping down her legs.

  He grunted and groaned, pushing her face into his thrusts. She brought a hand down between her folds and played with herself. Her body tightened as she sucked him harder and faster.

  He tugged her off his cock and took a step back. “Keep going. I want to watch you.”

  She sat back on the rug, her legs wide open, and continued to finger her pussy while meeting his gaze. “Caleb, I need—”

  He grasped his slick cock. “I know what you need. I have it right here and as soon as I see you come, I’ll fuck you for all the times we haven’t been together, baby.”

  She pressed at her clit, rubbing wet fingers over it and strumming it hard. Her breaths became choppy. She tugged a nipple with her other hand and felt the orgasm gathering at her core.

  “That’s it, baby. Come. Let go.” He continued jerking off and lowered to place his cock by her mouth. She sucked him and fingered herself faster.

  “Ah, sweetheart. I’m going to fill your pretty mouth with my cum. You want that, don’t you, Ellie?”

  She moaned, his dick deeply down her throat and the sweet taste of his seed filling her mouth. He pushed hard, coming in her mouth and grunting with each jerk of his hips.

  She pressed harder on her clit, her stomach went tight and her muscles tensed before they went lax. Loud moans tore from her throat as the orgasm flowed through her.

  She was still feeling it take a hold of her body when he put her over the edge of the bed and took her in one quick, hard drive. The movement pushed a new climax to soar in her. She grasped the sheets in her fists, her ass pushing out to meet each of his thrusts.

  The orgasm ripped through her hard, leaving her shaking and gasping for air. He continued his hard thrusts until he became stiff and roared by her ear, his canines embedding in her shoulder as he filled her with his seed. The animal came close to the skin. She sensed it. The fingers holding her hip had turned to claws.

  “We’re not done yet,” he said in an almost unintelligible growl.

  With a gruff groan, he pulled out of her, went to the bedside table and returned, a bottle of lube in his hand. She grinned at what was coming. In order to be fully mated, sh
e needed to take him in every way possible. Cool liquid landed on her ass, dripped between her cheeks and down to her pussy.

  He slid human fingers into her ass, working her hole the same way he always did. She moaned at the spike of fire in her pussy. She whimpered at how good it felt to push into his fingers, to feel him add a second and increase the wide thrusts to get her ready for him.

  “Fuck, sweetheart. You have such a gorgeous ass. So pale and perfect. The exact shape of a heart. My fucking heart.”

  She found herself rocking, moaning with each wiggle of her hips.

  “I wish I could eat your pussy and fuck your ass at the same time,” he growled.

  “I don’t know how you’d accomplish that. I love your flexibility but I don’t want to see you broken in half.” She grinned into the bedding. Her mate was one horny wolf she’d never get enough of. “Fuck me, already.”

  His fingers came out and were replaced with his cock. He pushed in slow at first, taking his time to ensure she was ready. She was more than ready. She shoved back, embedding his cock into her ass to the hilt. God dammit, that felt so good! Better than good. It was like floating in a sea of absolute pleasure.

  She slipped a hand under her to rub over her wet folds. Then she pressed hard at her clit. He thrusted and retreated with quick, harsh drives. Every time he slammed into her ass, she tapped at her clit, sending a combination of pleasure and pain to her core. Another thrust and she tapped harder.

  She gasped for air, her body slick with sweat and her muscles shaking from the nearing climax.

  “Fuck, Ellie. I love you so damn much, baby girl.” He went deep, balls deep, and retreated. “I will never want another woman the way I want you. You’re meant for me. Only me.”

  She tapped her clit again. The nubbin ached and hardened with her furious taps. “I love you, too,” she managed to get out.

  Another thrust, this one faster. He increased in speed and she sensed his impending orgasm nearing. “Forever, sweetheart.”

  One final tap and she squeezed hard at his cock and let her body shake with the overwhelming sensations raking her body. He howled loudly, his cock pushing its way into her tight anal muscles and stopping. His canines embedded in her other shoulder, deeper this time and held her still as he shook above her, filling her ass with his cum.

  It took some really long fucking moments before either could breathe normally or move at all. They’d stayed as they were, with him in her ass and her body still twitching from how hard she’d come. He licked her shoulders and kissed her gently over her already healed wounds.

  “My Ellie. Always mine.”

  When he pulled out of her and she was able to turn over, she straddled him and curled her arms around his neck. “We belong to each other. Mates. Fated. There’s never been any doubt.”

  “Never, baby girl. I love you.”

  She grinned and kissed him. Loving Caleb had been her whole life from the moment she’d laid eyes on him so long ago. Now she knew with enough time and perseverance, anything was possible. Even the love she thought might be lost in a never-ending war.

  EPILOGUE

  Caleb stood in the backyard of the newly built Rahound alpha house complex. Too many bad memories and too much blood had flowed through the old house. This was a fresh beginning for a new way of pack living.

  And what better way to show that than celebrating their new alpha’s marriage. Yes, everyone knew Caleb and Ellie had married quietly. So this renewal of vows was to show the world how much he loved Ellie. And how much Nathan loved Karla, Jake loved Nicole, and Mason loved Emma.

  Hundreds had gathered from both Rahound and Wolfe families and packs for the grandest ceremony of love they had seen.

  Aria and Trevan sat together. Each tried to look uninterested in the other, but were obviously leaning toward each other. Caleb was surprised, yet, he wasn’t. Trevan’s horrific past with vampires had devastated him completely. Maybe Aria was meant to get him through that and healed. They would be an interesting couple to keep an eye on.

  Jaxon, Aric’s friend from Golden Falls, had become a good comrade. He and his men helped a great amount in taking out rogues Rocco brought in to take over the Wolfe pack. Jaxon leaned against a pole, flirting with Letty. Nicole was so going to kick his ass if she saw him hitting on her little sister. Glad not to be him.

  Then there was the Central pack council and the beta couple. After explaining to the council that Mason was married, but their marriage certificate was delayed due to administrative issues within the office, the Central pack had no problems. They thought if one of the boys were available, they would push for a union to make the change as smooth as possible for the pack. They invited both Mason and his mate to visit.

  When Mason and Emma arrived, Mason understood why the council didn’t think an unmated brother would object to marrying the alpha bitch. The woman was stunningly beautiful, but didn’t hold a candle to his Ellie. Caleb needed to ask Mason if he and Emma had decided to stay with Central and help them get back on track.

  Caleb knew those two would make a wonderful alpha couple for the pack. He hoped Central didn’t have a history as dark as the Rahounds had. But even if they did, they had strong leaders to get them through.

  Thinking about the brothers, he realized that each had their own pack now. Except for Nate. But he and Karla wanted to stay close to Grandma Barbara for support, and nightly dinners Nate so elegantly mentioned. Caleb had never seen an alpha family like the Wolfes. He was glad Tristan was around to be his role model. But now his father was back.

  With Rocco and his enforcers gone, Caleb and Ellie, with the help of his father, had brought the pack together several nights a week for mutual healing and support. Stories were shared, faults where forgiven, and friendships renewed. The completion of the Rahound compound was the final expulsion of the old regime.

  The compound housed entertainment venues, recreation for children, and a facility large enough for the entire pack to come together when the need arose. Educational courses for adults and children were supported by volunteers, as well as job placement opportunities within the pack and local communities.

  Oh, and Caleb couldn’t forget the Olympic-sized community pool and water slides behind the alpha house. One hundred percent of the children voted on that requirement. Who was Caleb to ignore mass majority rule? Only a few yards to the side, the crystal clear water sparkled like millions of diamonds floating on the current.

  Happy faces glowed with warm sunlight. Three adorable babies, two dressed in tiny tuxes and one in a pearly white dress, were passed around, each eager to have a bite of what their current holder had to eat. Well, until it came to the broccoli dipped in ranch dressing, then they were happy to just lick off the white stuff.

  Grandma and the two grandpas helped the nanny load the triplets inside the house where they could safely, and quietly, sit at the floor to ceiling windows and watch the goings-on. Papa Nate made a face at them and they giggled behind the glass.

  “Caleb!” He glanced from the makeshift stage to his beautiful Ellie dolled up in her mother’s wedding dress with a slight alteration that allowed for her little peanut bump. “Let’s get the show on the road. I’m hungry.”

  “That’s right, honey. But you’re always hungry now.”

  “Don’t make me come up there and hurt you.”

  Caleb winked at her. “Of course not, sweetheart.” He picked up the mic and tapped the top. “Hey, everyone. It’s time to start.” He wiped his upper lip. “Good thing this is just a renewal, or you’d think I was nervous. Fortunately, there was a restroom nearby where we did get hitched.”

  Ellie added, “I won’t tell anyone how you stayed in there until two minutes before you said ‘I do.’” Those paying attention laughed.

  He grinned with a slight pink tinge. “Yeah, but be glad I could walk out on my own. The guy before me leaned on his best man to get through the restroom door.”

  All the mates and brothers had taken their se
ats in the first row and most others had found a chair also.

  “Welcome, everybody, to my and Ellie’s renewal of vows with specials guests, her brothers and mates, who also married too quietly for their mother’s preference. Aric and Jordan got a pass because they already did this, but technically they did get married before they got married again. To each other, of course.” Another round of laughter.

  Ellie glanced at her watch and mouthed I’m hungrier to him.

  “Right, moving on. Ellie and I would like to take this moment to say a few things before we get to the renewals.” He held a hand out to her. “Sweetheart, you want to come up here, too?” She made her way with applause from the crowd. Caleb noticed the red cheeks she sported. She was as used to be the center of attention as he was.

  “We want to thank all of you not only for joining us today, but for believing and trusting in us to put this pack back on track. We’ve endured a lot, and it’s time to take off the last bandages and get to living normal lives again.” Applause punctuated his decree.

  “Ellie and I promise to always put pack needs before our own and our door will always be open no matter the time. Just call if you’re coming over after eleven.”

  Ellie leaned toward the mic. “Or before seven a.m. These toes don’t see daylight before then.”

  Someone from the crowd hollered, “Wait a few more months and that’ll change.” Ellie placed a hand on her growing stomach and laughed.

  Caleb continued. “There are a few people here I’d like to recognize because they’ve played such an important part in both our lives.” He glanced at the second row of seats. “My mom and dad, and Ellie’s mom and dad, Tristan and Barbara.”

  A standing ovation roared. After a long minute, Caleb went on. “Both our parents taught us right from wrong, and how to give unconditional love. They showed us how to be good alphas and even better people. Ellie and I hope we can be as good at parenting as they are.”