“Your wish is my command.”
He loved his mate anyway she was, but seeing her in the woods, his woods, he swelled with pride. Her bow was at her back, even though they had decided to fish. Her eyes were darting around the woods with ease; it was her habit. She was a predator in her own right even if she didn’t have an animal inside of her. Leo’s lion was proud of the mate their Goddess had chosen for them.
“Last time we were out this way, things changed for us.”
“Have you thanked your other lion friend for helping us that day? Even though I’ll admit his tactics were a bit extreme.”
“I have thanked him maybe about a million times, and I’ll continue to do so for the rest of my life.”
“It hasn’t been that long ago I stumbled across you in these woods.”
“And shot me.”
“There’s that, but now look at where we are,” she said as she wrapped her arms around him.
“I’ll take a shot for you, or from you, any day. Now let’s fish.”
Aislinn took her pole from Leo and situated herself alongside the water. Her long hair was pulled up as it always was when they were in the woods. Her slender neck was tempting to for him. He hunched down behind her and planted kisses on her neck. Aislinn tilted her head to give him better access. He took her offering, devouring her silky flesh until he knew he was close to giving into his desire right there in the woods.
He stood up and stepped back, undressing slowly while she watched behind hooded eyes. Right before he shifted, he winked at her. She shot daggers at him while he sauntered passed her and got into the stream to fish the only way he really enjoyed. Once she forgave him for teasing her, she simply watched him. Feeling her eyes on him made him want to strut through the water, but he knew that was childish and foolish.
When he finally focused in, he was able to catch a fish. Aislinn squealed with delight, forgetting her pole and jumping in the stream next to him. Her hand on his back steadied her in the water, but it made him purr with content. He tossed their catch on bank and went after the next one. Aislinn stayed by his side, watching him intently. They fished side by side for another hour.
They climbed out of the stream together. Leo shook himself off. Aislinn laughed as she darted off to get away from his attack. He shifted and tackled her onto her back.
“You’re an impressive fisherman.”
“Thank you, huntress.”
“You’re also a very impressive, very naked man.”
“You’re also a very beautiful huntress.”
“Leo,” she said, her voice low and husky.
“Huntress.”
19
Aislinn
As many times as she had been with Leo, every single time felt like the first. She knew it was cliché, but it was the only way she could explain how she felt. His tongue danced along her collarbone, even though she wasn’t even sure how or when he had managed to undress her. Once he started touching her, she was mindless to anything else.
She moaned as he took her nipple into her mouth. When he came up for air, she tried to tug his mouth back down to her.
“You asked me once why I was a butcher.”
Aislinn tried to come out of her desire ridden fog and focus on what he said, but the only thing she could think about was his thumb that was making lazy circles around her other nipple.
“I told you it was because of my desire for working with the fresh flesh and blood.”
He dipped his head back down and replaced his thumb with his tongue. His eyes looking up at her while he twirled his tongue around and around her nipple.
“Leo,” she begged.
“Since I met you, that desire is gone. The only thing I want now is you. I want to taste every single part of you, over and over again.”
He thrust his hips against her wetness, sweat breaking out on his forehead.
“I want to take you everywhere, anyhow. Would you like that, huntress?” he growled.
“Yes, please, Leo. Take me!” she cried, arching her hips up into him.
He growled again. Every time he did that, she always felt that same rush of desire. He sat up on his knees and trailed his finger down her body to her slick folds. He thrust two fingers into her, and when he pulled it back out, he took the wetness down to her other opening, teasing her there, gently probing.
“Leo,” Aislinn begged.
He had never tried to take her there before, but she would let him do anything to her. She was his, in every way.
“What do you think, huntress? Can I claim every part of you?”
“Please.”
Leo worked relentlessly to prepare her. His mouth and fingers consumed her. When he finally lined himself up to enter her, she was ready to just slam herself back onto him, just to finally feel his fullness inside of her. She knew he needed to be the one in control, though. He would see to it that she felt nothing but pleasure.
He got her on her hands and knees as the tip of his erection teased her ass. His hands wrapped around and pinched her nipples, rolling them between his finger and thumb. She pushed back against him, rousing a grunt from him.
“Damnit, Leo. Fuck me!”
Leo pressed inside of her. Slowly he stretched her. Aislinn moaned, her hand covering one of his over her breasts. She loved feeling his strong hands grouping her. Once he was fully embedded inside of her, he growled her name.
“Are you okay?” he whispered.
She answered him by pulling away from him, and then slamming back down his length. That was all the encouragement Leo needed. He took over then. His hips pivoted in and out of her. Her hands gripped the green grass under her. He released her breasts, his hands sliding down to her hips. She moved her one hand up to her swollen clit and she rubbed herself in time with his thrusts. Leo swelled inside of her just as she felt her climax begin.
“Come with me, mate,” he demanded.
Just like that, she exploded with pleasure. He roared with his climax. It took them both several minutes to regain themselves. When Leo finally pulled out of her, she collapsed down on the ground and rolled to her side. He joined her on the ground, pulling her into his embrace.
“That won’t make us any cubs, but God you felt amazing.”
“I liked it, too. I never thought I would.”
Leo kissed her hard on the mouth.
“How many kids do you want, huntress?”
“I want a whole house full. I never had any siblings growing up, and I don’t want that for my kids.”
“A house full, it is. In that case, we better get started.”
Epilogue
Aislinn
Two years later
“Leo!”
“What is it, babe?”
“Leo, it’s time!”
“It’s time?”
“Yes, time!”
“Oh, it’s time. Okay. It’s time. Are you sure? I mean of course you’re sure, it’s time.”
“The baby’s coming, Leo.”
Aislinn tried not to laugh as Leo frantically ran through the small cabin not doing anything productive, just freaking out. Another contraction gripped her and she held her stomach in pain. Leo stopped his pacing and raced over to her. His large hand covered hers, reassuring her if nothing else. There would be pain to endure, but he would be there with her through it.
“Okay, it’s time. Let me get you to the hospital,” he said, his voice much more self-assured.
“Yes, please.”
Their bags were already loaded, so all Leo had to do was get Aislinn into the car. Her contractions were still far enough apart that they had time, but Aislinn was anxious to get to the hospital. Leo fumbled with the seatbelt before she took the clip from him and did it herself. He kissed her hard on the mouth and sprinted over to the driver’s side.
It had taken them longer than they had hoped to start their family, but Aislinn had enjoyed every second of her time with Leo. They had performed their mate bond ceremony a year after they h
ad met, in the very woods they had met in. Leo’s friend Brian had overseen the ceremony, and several of the locals from town had been in attendance. It had been perfect. National Geographic had sent them all over the world to shoot some of the most amazing shots. Leo had been alongside her for every single one.
Another pain gripped her, pulling her thoughts from memory lane. She tried not to cry out, but she couldn’t stop the small cry that escaped her lips.
“Hang in there, huntress.”
She nodded. Leo sped up. Just when she didn’t think she could stand the pain any longer, Leo pulled into the emergency drive up at the hospital. He jumped out and explained to the people who met him at the sliding doors that his wife was in labor. They immediately grabbed a wheelchair and hurried to get Aislinn out of the car. Everything was a blur from there. The room filled with nurses and the doctor came in, barking out demands. Leo was next to her through it all, wiping her forehead and whispering words of love and encouragement.
A contraction stronger than any of the other ones wracked her body, and the doctor yelled at her to push. Aislinn buckled down and pushed with all of her might, her fingers digging into Leo’s hand.
“Keep pushing,” the doctor ordered.
Aislinn took a deep breath and pushed harder.
“I see the head. Come on, keep pushing.”
Aislinn pushed with all of her might. The nurses were preparing beside her, but Leo kept his eyes on her. One more push, and she heard the sweet cry of their baby. Leo kissed her forehead hard as she let out a cry of relief.
“It’s a boy!” the doctor exclaimed.
“A boy,” Aislinn repeated, reaching out, anxious to hold her baby.
Leo moved closer to the doctor, watching as the nurses worked to do their job.
“Do you want kangaroo time?” the doctor asked.
“Yes, please. As long as he’s healthy.”
“He’s fine. Nurses, allow the mother to hold her baby.”
Aislinn pulled her hospital gown down so the nurses could lie her son on her chest. Once he was cradled on her, she covered him with a blanket. Leo kissed her and the baby both, telling them both how much he loved them and cherished them.
“Huntress, you have not only given me a beautiful life, but a beautiful son.”
“He is perfect, isn’t he?”
“Just like his mother. I love you, Aislinn.”
“I love you too, mate.”
FIN
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Damon - Elianne Adams
Mates of the Citadel
Ava Garamond doesn’t want a mate—she needs one. If she doesn’t get herself, and her siblings, away from their father, they’ll all end up dead. Left with little choice after her pack turns their backs on them, she joins the Citadel, giving up her rights to choose her mate to ensure their safety.
Forced into finding a mate by a senile elder who holds way too much power, Damon McCrae enters the Citadel of the Chosen. His dragon wants more than a warm and willing body, it wants its fated, but time has run out. Leaving without a mate wasn’t an option. He’s resigned himself to a half-hearted mating, but when seeing a woman shoved to the ground has him seeing red, and his blood pumping hot in his veins, hope flares to life. Maybe finding a mate at the Citadel wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Warning: This story contains instances of mild voyeurism, exhibitionism, and a whole lot of sexiness. Enjoy.
Copyright@ÉlianneAdams 2017
Edited by Theresa Cole
Cover by Fantasia Frog Designs
1
Ava Garamond took a deep breath as she stood in front of a heavy door with her hand up in the air, ready to knock. The intricate beauty and craftsmanship of the carved wood drew her gaze but did nothing to dispel the fear whipping through her. Every nerve ending sizzled as though lit by a torch, urging her to turn and run, but she couldn’t go back without a mate. Her shame was too deep. The embarrassment too severe. It was bad enough that not one male had given her a second glance as she’d come of age, or in the years that followed, but to have been offered up to a neighboring pack who had also snubbed her…it was more than she could bear.
She’d never thought herself better than she was. A simple girl living a simple life. She worked hard and provided what she could for her family, feeding and protecting her siblings when no one else would have. It wasn’t her fault that her mother had died or that her father had spiraled to the bottom of a bottle, grieving the loss of his mate in the weeks and months to follow. The fact that he took his grief out on her with violence should have led her pack to come to her rescue, not turn their backs on her.
So what if the manual labor she’d taken had left some dirt beneath her fingernails and her body too tired to socialize with other people her age. If any of those wolves had been worth anything at all, they would have seen past it. They would have seen her.
Doubt rose hard and swift inside her as it always did, robbing her of the thin resolve she had built. What if they weren’t the ones at fault? What if she was somehow lacking? She’d developed a decent figure working in the fields, and she’d been told a time or two—granted, only by well-meaning relatives—that she was pretty enough, yet no man had ever stopped to look at her, much less get to know her. Perhaps something about her turned men off.
Coming to the Citadel of the Chosen didn’t guarantee a mate. Ava knew that. She could lie in the arena for days. Her heart pounded at the possibility. Not just days—weeks, months even—and never be picked. She imagined the humiliation of putting herself on display over and over only to have to do it again the following day. She hung her head and dragged another lungful of air into her body. Glancing at the drawbridge she’d crossed to get to the exterior wall of the Citadel, she blew out a breath and rolled her shoulders, steeling her resolve. As much as she wanted to turn back, she couldn’t. If she didn’t find a suitable mate, she’d never be able to take the children and raise them outside of her father’s home.
The late morning sun beat onto her back as she raised her fist, then hesitated once more before knocking.
“Tomorrow’s registration closes at noon, lovey. Gather your courage and pound on that door now if you want to get in,” an older woman she’d guess to be in her early forties said as she stood next to her, scaring the crap out of her. Her long, flowing gown swayed in the breeze, and her hair, as white as snow, all but glowed.
Ava gasped and clutched her threadbare shift at her chest. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.”
“It’s quite alright. But you’d best get a move on. There’s a bit of a lineup, so there’s no time to waste.” The woman’s pale blue eyes shone bright—too bright to be human. Considering the height of the sun in the sky, she couldn’t be a vampire. A shifter then? Maybe. Alien? Possibly. One way or the other, the woman’s words snapped Ava into action. If she was going to do it, she didn’t want to waste a single day. Besides, where would she go to wait for the following day’s registration? The carriage she’d hired—the only mode of transportation the Citadel allowed on its grounds—was miles away by now.
“Thank you. I guess I’m just a little nervous,” Ava said as she took a fortifying breath.
“Think nothing of it. I was once standing where you are. Scared. Alone. Things will work out. You’ll see.” With that, the woman was gone, leaving nothing but a thin blue mist in her wake. Alien then.
She’d heard rumors that witch magic operated the gate, and the only way inside was to present yourself and be found suitable. If the door remained closed, you were out of luck. Maybe she should have asked the carriage to wait. What if she was denied entrance to the Citadel?
Shoving the negative thoughts aside, she lifted her hand and rapped at the heavy doo
r before she could start another mental berating.
A soft hum teased her ears, and the ghost of an invisible touch against her face had her gasping, but then the heavy door swung slowly inward. As far as she could tell, there was no one pulling it.
Inside, bustling with activity, a large, well-manicured courtyard lay with a water fountain gracing its center. Off to the right, a long line of women stood waiting for processing. She took a couple of steps toward the end of the line, but then a huge form flew overhead, blocking the sun, sending shivers skittering over her flesh. A dragon. She’d never seen one in real life. Of course, she knew they existed, but there were none anywhere near her pack.
The beast blew out a plume of fire and smoke as it flew away again. It had all but disappeared in the sky when it performed a dive of sorts and flew back, dipping lower—closer.
“Come, Millicent, you’ll not make the registration. Why must you always be so tardy?” shouted a woman in a shrill voice from behind her. In the next moment, Ava was shoved hard and sent sprawling to the ground as they bustled past. Thankfully, she landed on the soft grass beside her and not on the cobbled stone path they stood on. So much for the gate denying entrance to those unworthy.
The dragon came closer still, the wind from its multicolored wings blowing Ava’s hair around her face. It opened its jaws wide, and for a terrifying moment, Ava thought she would be its lunch, but it tipped its head back and roared before flying off again to land somewhere beyond the castle walls.
When Ava found her feet again, the door behind her had closed. She made her way to the back of the line, biting her tongue against saying anything to the woman who had so rudely plowed through her. She glanced at her watch. Eleven thirty. That left half an hour to spare. The procession moved forward by one and she glanced at her watch again. Six more people in line before her. By the time the one who had made it to the front was done, another eight minutes had passed. The woman was taken to an archway to the right, leading her into heaven only knew what awaited them all.
Dread filled Ava, making her stomach churn. She wasn’t going to make it past the courtyard before noon. Surely, the Citadel Priestesses wouldn’t admit people only to turn them away again.
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