by Dold, V. A.
She nodded. “Can I ask you something really personal about you and not insult you?”
He got a quizzical expression, what could she want to ask? “Um, sure.”
“Will you always be so crazy about another man touching me?”
He chuckled to himself. “Yes and no. I’ll always be sensitive and protective, but until we complete the mating, I’ll be a lot worse. I’m sorry, cher, my instinctive reactions are something I really can’t control very well.”
“Why did Jason call you my lord and bow like he did?”
He groaned and scrubbed his hands threw his hair. “My family is the royal line of the shifters. My father is their king and we sons are considered princes. My family is the direct decedents of the original shifters that were created.”
She searched his face, and sighed strangely.
He tucked a finger under her chin and raised her eyes to his. “What is it, my love?”
“There’s no way I can measure up to be in a royal family. You should have told me before.”
“This reaction is why I didn’t tell you. We don’t rule like you imagine a royal family would. People look up to us because of our blood lines. The family has not held court of any kind since before I was born.”
She scooted over and snuggled back in to his chest. Having her close was perfect as far as he was concerned.
Anna reviewed everything they had spoken about the last few days. Cade said there is only one mate for a shifter, that her soul is the other half of his. And yet he wasn’t rushing her to accept him. He was letting her get to know him with no pressure to make a choice. As a matter of fact, he hadn’t even mentioned mating since he gave her the ring unless she brought it up or asked a question.
Cade might seem and act human most of the time, but he wasn’t human, and it occurred to her, she placed him being a shifter and not human into the plus column. Recalling her time with Tim, she really had no desire to ever be with another human man. And hadn’t she invented Cade in her mind, or at least thought she had, shifter and all, and been blissfully happy?
Well, here he was in her life, in the flesh. Did she really have a reason to hesitate? Was there a reason to wait? She suddenly realized there wasn’t. Sure, tonight was scary, but it had also been amazing. Being together, the song he sang just for her. Up until the other shifter made a move on her, he’d been perfect. The night had been perfect.
He loved her as she was. Not once had he tried to change her in any way. He adored her curvy figure. He would never want her to be skinny or change anything about her.
In that moment as she sat quietly, she realized she could never see herself without him. She loved him. She wanted and needed him. She’d already made up her mind on the balcony over Bourbon Street. There was no reason to change her decision.
After what felt like a lifetime, Anna raised her head, looked him in the eyes, and said with all the resolve she had, “Cade, let’s do this.”
Chapter 12
“What are you saying? I need to hear you say the words.” His eyes bounced back and forth desperately searching her face for the answer. He was almost afraid to believe he heard her correctly.
She brushed his hair from his face as she looked at him with her incredible expressive eyes. She captured his heart with her gaze.
“I’ve thought my decision through.
Completely.
In Detail.”
She reached up and gently cupped his face. “I love you. I don’t think I’ve ever known real love until I met you.”
She leaned in and kissed him gently. “I’m ready to be your mate,” she whispered in his ear.
He was thrilled and terrified all at the same time. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Immediately, he scooped her up and almost ran to the bed. He was going to have to make sure to slow down, he was so excited he was afraid he would rush through the ritual. He wanted this to be perfect for her.
This was the moment he’d dreamed of for over one hundred and fifty years, ever since he had become a mature shifter. He was like a teenager about to have sex for the first time, all nerves and thumbs. Gone were all his smooth moves and confidence.
He set her on the edge of the mattress, sank down to the floor and laid his head in her lap. He was so thankful for this woman, and her accepting him as her mate overwhelmed him more than he expected. He hadn’t been prepared for this reaction to her acceptance.
Anna intuitively knew to give him a minute to compose himself and remained silent, stroking his hair. When a minute passed and he hadn’t moved, she wondered if perhaps his wolf was still struggling with the stress of the night.
“Cade? Baby? Please look at me.” She gently lifted his face to gaze into his eyes.
“Would it help if you let your wolf out for a few minutes?” She could tell his hesitancy was more than mating jitters.
“Are you sure? You’ve been through so much today.”
“I suggested it, didn’t I? Let him out so I can pet him.”
He stood and stepped back. A heartbeat later he was the beautiful, very large black and silver wolf. He whined and laid down where he stood.
Come on, babe, move closer to me.
The wolf’s head lifted off its paws and his ears twitched forward. Instead of standing to walk over he crawled on his belly to her feet and gave her a lick.
She squealed and pulled her foot up. Ewww, feet are gross.
He chuffed at her and let his tongue hang out of the side of his mouth.
She giggled and slid off the bed to join him on the floor. He rolled to his side and she snuggled up behind him, pressing herself against his back and stroking him. He closed his eyes and his chest rumbled contentedly.
They embraced on the floor. “Are you feeling better now?”
Without answering he shifted to human right in her arms, conveniently forgetting to put his clothes back on. He rolled over to face her with a twinkle in his eye. “Have I told you lately you’re amazing?”
“I’m not sure you have yet today,” she teased. “Better get on that, slacker.”
He wrapped his arms around her and gave her the lightest kiss on her forehead. “You never cease to amaze me. You always know what I need and provide it without a thought.”
“Don’t all mates provide for each other?”
“Yes, but not always so generously. You give wholeheartedly, whatever it takes to supply what I need.”
“That’s not a hardship, I want to do it.”
“Exactly. Come on, let’s take this important night to the bed.” He helped her up and reached for the buttons on the blouse she wore. “I’d like to admire my mate.” He slowly unbuttoned the shirt one button at a time revealing her creamy skin inch by inch.
Cade released the final button and eased the silky fabric off her shoulders. Her blouse slid down her arms and floated to the floor pooling at her feet. With a growl of appreciation, he tucked his thumbs under her bra straps and eased them off her shoulders then reached around her to pop the eyehooks so her glorious breasts would be released to him.
She lowered her arms to allow it to fall to the floor. He slid his hands along her collarbones and up her neck to cup her face. His chest rumbled as he brought his lips to hers, pausing for a moment, enveloping himself in her scent. He kissed her gently, easing her lips apart and searching with his tongue in an unhurried exploration. Their tongues reached for each other, dancing and caressing. With a little popping sound, he released her lower lip
His palms trailed down her ribcage and over her soft, round belly to stop at the button of her jeans. With the flick of his wrist, the button was opened and its zipper inched down. He ran his hands around her hips inside her jeans then pushed them along with her panties down her legs to the floor so she could step out of them. His chest rumbled as he brought his mouth back to hers, he wanted to devour her.
Never interrupting his kiss, he tucked one arm behind her knees and swung her into his arms.
He laid her on the bed before covering her with his body. Slowly he burned a trail of kisses across her jaw and down her neck, stopping to give special attention to the spot which would bear his bite. Cade traced her collarbone with his tongue and burned another trail to her breast.
He gave her left nipple a flick with his tongue. She gasped arching her back and grasping his hair in clinched fists. She needed more contact with his delicious torturing tongue. He chuckled and licked her again more slowly, curling his tongue around the engorged peak. She moaned, on the verge of begging. He would have none of that. Filling his hot, hungry mouth with her breast, he suckled her deeply. Rolling her right nipple with the perfect amount of pressure to heighten her pleasure, but not cause pain. Strong pulls that made her stomach clench and heat pool low between her thighs.
Giving her left breast one last slow lick, he moved to the right fully intending to give her right breast an equal amount of attention. He was nothing if not thorough, and tonight was the most important night of his and Anna’s lives. He wanted her to remember this night and the way he made love to her for the rest of her life. He was fueling her desire with each caress, each lick. Driving her arousal higher. She laced her fingers through his fabulous hair rubbing the silky strands between her fingers. She arched into his seeking mouth, the ecstasy indescribable as the intensity of her desire burned higher. Her head thrashed side to side, as she moaned. He was going to make her orgasm with just his mouth.
He felt she was close. He wasn’t ready for her to turn into a contented puddle of goo.
He released her right breast and kissed his way back to her lips. Both breathed hard. He slowly caressed and stroked every inch of her body, he wanted to memorize every curve.
Anna loosened her fingers from his hair and skimmed them down his back and up to his shoulders. She loved the feel of his skin. As she reached his strong, wide shoulders, she let her fingertips begin a scorching path across his chest. She was memorizing him as much as he was her. She slowly circled his hard male nipple with her thumb. Cade let out a little hiss as she rolled it between her thumb and finger. His eyes glowed green with desire. He was so excited by her attentions, she had to give the hard little peak a lick to see what he would do. His eyes burned brighter as he growled in approval. I guess you like that, wolf man. She purposely sent him the thought which made him growl more.
She brushed his nipple one last time with her thumb before letting her fingertips slowly glide over the ripples and valleys of his abdomen. His muscles quivered and clenched under her light touch, fanning the flames of his arousal. The pads of her fingers skimmed his erection and she felt the hard length of him jump as he sucked in his breath. With every caress, his erection twitched, bouncing in her light hold. She traced the length of him with her fingers before wrapping her fist around him. Oh, God, Anna, cher, you’re killing me. We have to be careful, I can’t cum yet.
A wicked gleam sparked in her eye as her lips followed the same trail her fingertips had taken. She wanted to taste all of his luscious skin.
Cade didn’t know if he was going to be able to last as her lips and tongue deliciously tortured his shoulders down his chest. She took his nipple into her hot seeking mouth. She suckled and laved him with her tongue before nibbling and licking each curve and valley of his abdomen. He was barely holding it together, but he wanted to give her this freedom to explore his body. He clutched the bed sheet in his hands as he tried to think of anything that would assist him in holding his release. He needed to save his finish for the ritual.
Cute, fluffy bunnies. That got his wolf salivating for a hunt. Shit, not good.
Stefan’s hairy ass. UGH! It worked, but now he’d have that visual burned into his cortex until the end of time.
He yelled when she took him deeply into her mouth. Taking him all the way to the back of her throat and sucking hard. Shit, cher you gotta stop, mon coeur. I can’t take anymore.
She released him and stuck out her lower lip then kissed her way up his heaving chest. He heard her breathe in his scent before kissing him lightly on the lips. He knew she was trying to look as innocent as she could. Cade chuckled at her acting skills.
He slowly ran his palm to her hips and up her stomach to her ribs, worshipping her body. Before beginning the claiming ritual, he needed to give them both a minute to cool down
“Are you ready, Anna?” He needed to do the ritual before he lost control and ruined the night for them.
“Yes,” she said with complete resolve in her voice.
“Will you give yourself body and soul to complete this man and his wolf?
Will you unite your life with mine, bond your future with mine, and merge your half of our soul to mine and in doing so complete the mating ritual?” He held his breath and waited for her response.
“I will give myself body and soul to complete you as a man and his wolf.
I will unite my life with yours, bond my future to yours, and merge my half of our soul with yours. I will complete the mating ritual with you.” She stated her answer in a strong, unwavering voice.
He slowly kissed her. Laid hot little kisses down her body to her hip. Gently nipping and kissing as he ran his palm up her inner thigh to her fiery patch of red curls. She gasped when he covered her dripping core with his entire hand. He stroked her back and forth open palmed, before carefully parting her lips with one finger, circling her hardened nub before sliding it deep inside. He repeated the action over and over. Circle and thrust. Circle and thrust. The arousal Cade fueled was about to push her over the edge.
He kissed his way from her hip to her drenched core. He stroked her hips as he gave her one long, slow lick. Her body clenched, jumped. She arched off the bed toward his mouth, begging him with her body to give her more. He took his time enjoying her warm sweet taste. Then plunged his tongue inside. She screamed, the pleasure was so intense. He lapped at her juices as he inserted one finger into her. She bucked against his finger needing more.
She moaned with her head thrashing back and forth as he pushed her higher and higher, stroking in and out, then two fingers stretching her and his tongue worked its magic on her nub. He thrusted in and out and circled her nub in a rhythm taking her breath away. Before she orgasmed, he removed his fingers, and, with one last lick, prowled up her body and cradled his hips between her thighs.
He was painfully aroused, thick and long. He had never been so hard. He rubbed his erection through her damp curls preparing to make love to her as his mate. Cade locked eyes with her and slowly entered her. He made sure she had time to adjust to his size. Then he slid in a little further. When she was relaxed, he drew back slightly and thrust in to the hilt. Slowly he rocked with small thrusts.
“I claim you as my mate.” The magic swirled around them with his first words.
“I belong to you as you belong to me. I give you my heart and my body. I will protect you even with my life. I give you all I am. I share my half of our soul to complete you.
I share my magic with you.” Cade rocked forward, kissed her lightly on the lips and nuzzled her neck. He lapped at the spot where her shoulder and neck met, once, twice, a third time, and then bit, piercing the flesh with his extremely sharp canines.
Anna cried out as the shock of pain faded to pure bliss.
He swallowed the little bit of blood seeping from the wound he had made, licking gently as he started his gentle thrusting again.
“I beseech the great Luna goddess to bless you and your wolf guardian.
You are my mate to cherish today and for all time.
I claim you as my mate.”
It felt as if something had just whooshed into her body, but there was nothing to be seen by the human eye. She felt fuller, more complete than she’d ever felt in her life. For the first time she truly belonged. She knew she wouldn’t feel odd or out of place anymore. What had been missing was found.
“Now you need to repeat the words back to me, my love, and bite me back.”
Taking a deep b
reath she spoke unwaveringly “I claim you as my mate. I belong to you as you belong to me. I give you my heart and my body.
I will protect you even with my life. I give you all I am. I share my half of our soul to complete you.”
Anna swore she felt their souls come together, as if tiny knitting needles rapidly closed the gap between the two halves to leave a complete, brightly shining soul.
“I share my magic with you.” He lowered himself so she could reach his neck. She hesitantly nuzzled him. Not sure what to do, she copied him by lapping at the spot where she would have to bite him. Once, twice, a third time. Suddenly razor sharp canines erupted in her mouth. At first the new teeth startled her, they felt strange behind her lips. She wasn’t sure how she would be able to talk with such large teeth in the way. Before she finished the thought, instinct took over, she bit down piercing his flesh.
Cade yelled out as she sank her teeth, she knew he felt the same erotic experience she had. He bit his lip hard, drawing blood as he strained, seeming to hold himself back, shaking with the effort.
Unexpectedly, he was hit by an invisible force that almost knocked him backwards. The blow almost caused her the rip his throat with her canines, she both felt and saw the impact,
What the heck was that?
She swallowed the little bit of blood that seeped from the wound she’d made, licking gently to stop the bleeding. I don’t know, but I felt it too.
“I beseech the great Luna goddess to bless you and your wolf guardian.
You are my mate to cherish today and for all time. I claim you as my mate.”
With the ritual words completed, he started a slow, deep thrusting rhythm that drove her crazy. Pulling almost completely out before sliding all the way back in to the hilt. With each deep stroke he heard her moan a little louder.
Anna wrapped her arms around him and clung to his shoulders. She would never get enough of this man and the pleasure he could wring from her body.
As she got closer to her climax, he started thrusting in earnest. I can’t believe you’re mine, really mine. You’re so tight, you feel so good.