"But you don't all have the same mark, no?" He slipped the empty needle into a plastic bag and put it back in the box.
The medicine was already working it's magic and Deacon settled back on the bed.
"No, every mark is different. The reason it's called mate mark is because the mates carry matching marks."
"Oh…" Dr. Collins looked down at his hands and wrung them together.
The doctor was nervous about something. Deacon could smell it on him.
"Why the hummingbird?" Dr. Collins asked after a moment of silence.
"I don't know why my mate mark is represented by a hummingbird. I suppose that's what the fates decided for me when I was born. It just is."
"Monica doesn't know this, but she once had a birthmark just like that."
Deacon stiffened on the bed, all of his attention on Dr. Collins. "Once?"
"When she was born, she had a birthmark right behind her left ear. It was so tiny. My wife saw it first when she was breastfeeding Monica in the hospital. We looked at it and both agreed that it looked like a bird with a long narrow beak, specifically the hummingbird. The mark was red, a little raised, so we asked the midwife about it. She agreed that it wasn't a skin infection or rash or anything. Just a birthmark. When Monica turned three days old, the birthmark disappeared. We never saw it again. Ever. I took a picture of the mark on your arm and sent it to my wife's Skype messenger. I'm so sorry…I just had to know. She couldn't believe her eyes. She said the mark on your arm is an exact replica of the one she saw behind Monica's ear, only hers is over ten times smaller than yours. Smaller than a penny. Right behind her ear. Hiding in plain sight."
Deacon's mouth had fallen open in shock.
Dr. Collins continued. "She's a grown woman now and it would look foolish for me to go check behind her ears for a little birthmark that we never told her about. My wife nor I are shifters. We don't have it in our bloodline. We're certain. Can you tell me what that might mean?"
"No, you're not shifters. It doesn't mean she will become a shifter. I means that your daughter is my true mate, Dr. Collins."
"That's why you've been together," Dr. Collins said. "That's why she looks at you like that."
Deacon nodded.
"I don't know what to say. That sounds…surreal."
"Do you know the term love at first sight?" Deacon asked.
"Yes, it's why I married Monica's mother."
"It's the same. I'll love your daughter fiercely. Now that I've found her, nothing will keep us apart."
Chapter 23
Twelve days later…
Monica stretched her legs outward, leaning back against the trunk of the tree. She had long abandoned the fashion magazine in her lap to close her eyes and enjoy the cool breeze and warm sun. The smell of the fresh lake flowed toward her with the wind. She thought she heard Deacon's wolf swimming at the water's edge. He'd been wading in and out of the lake all day in both wolf and human form. Except for the occasional tourists walking on the trail around the lake, they'd mostly had the lake to themselves all day.
"Deacon, is that you? We need to get back to the cabin. I left the cheesecake out on the counter because I didn't know we'd be out this long."
There was no answer.
"Deacon?"
Something rummaged in some bushes nearby and she scented maple and spice coming at her on the breeze.
She sighed, opened her eyes and rose to a standing position. "Are we going to play this game again?"
Apparently, his wolf liked to play hide and seek, but she wasn't good at seeking.
Monica glanced over at his motorcycle where both of their helmets were still on the seat.
"Deacon, this is getting old. I'm not playing around this time. Last time you scared the heck out of me when I came to find you."
After he didn't answer, she sighed and gathered up the blanket from under the tree. She followed Deacon's scent as she'd become accustomed to doing whenever he ran off in wolf form and took the trail leading to the outer banks of the forest. When she found him, she realized why he hadn't answered.
He was still in wolf form, sitting back on his hind legs looking up into the branches of a maple tree. A throng of hummingbirds were flying about, chirping and humming a tune. They sounded heavenly and Monica realized why Deacon found them so peaceful and entertaining.
He sensed her coming and he rose on all fours and welcomed her by his side. She stroked the soft fur on his back and on his head as he enjoyed the view. For what seemed like forever, they watched the hummingbirds dance in and out of the leaves. When the birds left, Deacon shifted back into human form seamlessly, appearing in front of her stark-naked. She was getting used to him walking around without clothes. She didn't mind at all.
"That was beautiful," she said, walking into his arms.
"That was my first time seeing hummingbirds since coming back to town," he said.
"You did say they were hiding in plain sight, didn't you?" She pressed a few kisses to his lips.
"They sure do. Just like someone else I know," he replied.
He reached up to capture her about her nape and his thumb momentarily stroked the hummingbird mate mark behind her left ear. When she parted her lips, their tongues danced together. She made him walk backwards until his back was pressed up against the tree trunk where the birds once played.
She reached down between them and wrapped her fist around his big, thick erection. He became hard in a matter of seconds right against her palm. Desperate to please him, she sank into the grass on her knees.
"Monica…you don't have to."
“Let me please you."
He groaned and closed his eyes the moment her fingertips trailed over his turgid shaft. She looked up at him, making certain that he was paying attention as she covered him with her mouth. She felt the moment that he relaxed back against the trees. He tangled his fingers in her hair, gently pulling it up into a ponytail so that he could see what she was doing to him. Her tongue slid over his broad cockhead over and over again until she tasted the sweet pre-cum coating her tongue. His pleasure was hers and every little reaction from him caused her pulse to quicken and her pussy to tighten. She moved her lips back and forth over him, allowing him to fuck her mouth.
"Oh my Fuck, you're gonna make me come," he whispered hoarsely.
Her fist closed over the leathery-hard length of him, pumping over and over again. Her mouth created just the right amount of suction to bring him to completion, and her tongue driving up and down his shaft worked to excite him even more.
When he pulled back, removing his solid length from her mouth and brought her to her feet, she grumbled.
She pouted. “I was enjoying that.”
"You knew where this was heading. I want to come while fucking that sweet tight pussy of yours,” he told her.
This time, he was the one doing the leading, urging her toward the tree trunk where he placed her palms against the rough bark. She wore a dress today and her thong panties were easily pushed aside by his calloused hands exposing her sex to the breeze. Next he placed his heavy cock on the plumpness of her ass and ground against her. She moaned and arched backward, begging for entry. He cupped her ass with his big strong hands, parted her ass checks and entered her dripping wet pussy. She cried into the thick of the forest when he rammed himself to the hilt. Something feral ignited between them. Waves and waves of pure pleasure. He pummeled her, driving recklessly with pleasure-inducing strokes. He thrust hard, whispering against the back of her neck and lapping at the sensitive mate mark behind her ear. He took her higher and higher, making her scream at the top of her lungs. Her cries mingled with the leaves and carried on the wind.
"Deacon!"
"Come now. Come for me."
She exploded, her body convulsing with blinding pleasure. His release followed. Jets of his hot seed pierced her womb, most of it spreading through her like a tornado and some of it leaking down her quivering thighs.
He groaned through
the last remnants of his orgasm and when they were both sated, he turned her around and captured her mouth with his.
"I love you, Monica," he rasped against her lips. "I needed to tell you that. I love you so much."
"I love you too, Deacon."
No one could ever come between Monica and her wolf—Deacon. She was certain of it. She would forever remain true to him. They were meant for one another and had found each other at just the right time. Deacon was rogue no more. However, Monica believed that everyone was born with a little rogue in them until they found the one place where they truly belonged.
Story Summary
FORBIDDEN WOLF (ASPEN VALLEY WOLF PACK)
Wolf shifter Andre Trenton is a reformed bad boy, but his criminal record isn't the only thing keeping him away from what he wants most. He let the love of his life slip away once. He won't make that mistake again. But what else is a man to do when the one he's meant to spend the rest of his life with is barely legal and his new stepsister? He bides his time—ignoring the ache he feels whenever he sees her but knows he can't have her.
* * *
Andre's waited years to be with Sonia Bentley. When she shows up in town all grown up looking for shelter from a storm, his mating urge is triggered. He doesn't want to wait another minute to claim her. Second chances are never promised and his secret isn’t the only thing that might tear them apart.
Chapter 1
"You’ve arrived at your destination. 143 Lumber Patch Road."
Sonia Bentley drove her SUV to a complete stop in front of an old two-story cabin. She turned the engine off to conserve gas just in case she needed it. With the way this road trip was turning out, there was no telling what other inconveniences awaited her.
The GPS screen soon faded to black. Cold air seeped into the vehicle as snow fell to the ground. The air was just too humid to result in any significant accumulation at this point, but come nightfall, the circumstances would be different.
After driving for four hours straight and then being stuck on the road for another two hours because a bridge had iced over, Sonia was ready to vacate the car and plop down in a comfy chair somewhere.
Her cell buzzed and she picked it up to see her Dad's phone number flashing on her caller ID.
She answered it. "Hey Dad. I'm here."
"Oh, thank God. I called you two times already but you didn't pick up. I was worried," her dad exclaimed.
"I only had one bar. Even my radio kept cutting in and out," Sonia said.
"The reception is terrible up there, but I'm glad you made it. It'll be safer for you to stay there for the time being instead of trying to fight your way across frozen bridges and highways. I called the hotel for you and they'll hold your room until you get there. You'll make it in time for the interview tomorrow. Don't worry."
"That interview is the least of my worries right now. Just about every eatery was closed on the way here. Guess they know what's coming," she said.
"Do you have anything at all to eat tonight?"
"I've got some sandwiches that I bought at the gas station up the road, so I'll be okay," she said.
"Right. You'll be just fine. I looked at some national weather reports and they expect the blizzard to end sometime tomorrow. Once the snow clears, you can head out to Aspen Valley again."
"I hope so…"
Sonia turned her attention to the cabin amid towering oak trees and vast acreage, all of which were covered in snow. This countryside view wasn't anything like the tall federal buildings, skyscrapers, and multi-use condominiums that she was used to up in Cincinnati. The area looked as deserted as a college campus during spring break. Not that she coveted crowded roadways and heavily polluted air, she just didn't expect the area to be so secluded. Or maybe all the residents were hunkered down inside their cabins preparing for the blizzard.
Sonia, her dad, and Wanda, Sonia's step-mom had lived in the cabin for about three months before her dad decided he wanted to change careers. His new wife had family in the area, mainly grown sons, but she didn't have a problem with leaving them behind to start a new life with her new husband. That was four years ago. At the time, Sonia was only fourteen—a minor. Her dad couldn't just leave her behind.
So instead of going to live with her mom out in California, who was five months pregnant at the time, she made the decision to move to Cincinnati with her dad and his new wife. She'd always been a daddy's girl anyway. Plus, she actually liked Wanda. She had never blamed her step-mom for driving the final wedge between her birth mom's and dad's already failing relationship. Sonia saw the separation and divorce coming from a mile away. Unfortunately, her dad's union didn't last with his second wife and now he was back where he had ended last time—going through divorce filing procedures.
"Did you find the spare key under the flower pot?" her dad asked, jolting her from her thoughts.
"I haven't gotten out of the car yet," she said.
"Well, for heaven's sake, what are you waiting on?" he exclaimed. "Don't sit in the car and freeze to death."
Sonia rolled her eyes and decided not to mention how he'd been calling her every thirty minutes along the way.
"I'll call you back once I get inside," she said.
"Okay. And there should be some wood down in the basement and more outside near the shed under some brown tarp. That should last a week but I doubt you'll be out there that long," he said.
"I hope not." She glanced out at the front porch and thought she saw a figure or some shadow move behind a curtain. "Dad…you did say no one was here right?"
"There shouldn't be. Wanda and I rented the cabin out sometimes to tourists, but we arranged all that through Lombardi Lodging and only when they were in dire need of space. Besides, the tourist season has come and gone."
"Okay," she said, pushing the car door open. "I see the flower pot you mentioned."
"Alright. The spare should be right under it. It's heavy, but it's the only way inside or you'll have to break a window. I'm going to text you the number I have here for Luke Lombardi. If you can't find it, he'll help you get inside."
"Okay, dad. Let me hang up so I can lift the pot and then I'll call you back," she said.
After her dad hung up, she got out of the SUV, slammed the door shut, and began trudging through the snow toward the wraparound porch. Her sneakers would be soaking wet, but what mattered was that she had found a safe shelter. Soon she'd be huddled up by the fire taking a long nap without the stress of the outside world looming over her. She wouldn't have to worry about rowdy roommates or subway noises anymore. She wouldn't even worry about the upcoming job interview she had in Aspen Valley. If she missed her chance at nailing a dream job, well…it was never meant to be.
As Sonia walked through the snow, she spotted some imprints that belonged to a rather large boot and then some more footprints that looked like they belonged to an animal—maybe a dog or wolf. But that didn't mean anything. This was the wilderness. Animals roamed about all the time. The majority of them were harmless since they had gotten used to humans sharing their territory. And unlike the town of Aspen Valley, most of the residents traveled by foot from neighborhood to neighborhood and shop to shop. During the three months that Sonia had lived out here with her dad and step-mom, she'd learned a lot about nature and how to survive in it.
The big flower pot sat to the left of the door just as her dad had described, but the Hostas that usually bloomed in the spring had wilted and rotted away. In fact, none of the flower beds they planted four years ago remained. The temperatures were harsh in this region this time of year and only the trees and various shrub surrounding the wrap around porch thrived.
She lifted the pot up to one side and bent down to look for the key. Unfortunately, the key wasn't there. She reached under the pot and slid her hand along the bottom and even stuck a finger in the small drain hole, thinking it had gotten stuck in there somehow over the years. Still nothing.
Sonia sighed and sat back with her legs folded under
her. Her breath visibly folded out in front of her as she looked around the porch for other pots. The only thing left were two rocking chairs, the bench swing, and some ferns hanging from the ceiling. She grabbed her phone out of her pocket, weary about whether she should call that guy, Luke, for help. The last thing she wanted to do was call her dad right back only to tell him that she couldn't find the key and was stuck outside. Or she could just find a nice big rock and bust out one of the basement windows like her father had suggested.
Just as she was about to open her text messages to get the number to Lombardi Lodging, she heard the sound of footsteps on the inside.
Her pulse quickened and she held her breath and listened. Sure enough, over the sound of the wind howling, she heard the floor boards creak inside. Just like it always did near the foyer when she used to live here.
Her back stiffened when she realized that the phone in her palm might have been the only object she had to defend herself. She placed her free hand down on the floor and was just about to push herself up when the doorknob rattled and then turned. Locks clanged together on the inside and the frame shifted as someone swung the door open.
While she was still kneeled on the floor like a damsel in distress, a big six-foot-two man filled the doorframe. At the same time her mouth dropped opened, his eyes narrowed in suspicion or maybe it was recognition.
Standing before her in just a pair of jogging pants with nothing else on was Andre Trenton, her step-brother. Well…soon-to-be ex-step-brother. But that's not all he was. Andre was her very first crush—her first real crush.
"I hope there's a very good reason for being down on your knees like that," he drawled, staring at her with those enchanting amber eyes of his.
Just like his body, his face was sculpted with only a couple days’ worth of stubble. His hair was the same as she'd always remembered it. Cut short and tousled, as if he'd just gotten up from a long nap or taken a lengthy jog. Instead of responding with a sassy comeback, she lost her voice and resorted to blushing instead. She couldn't stop staring.
Aspen Valley Wolf Pack (The Complete Series) Page 62