by Cali MacKay
“Is that why you’d stayed away?” He’d mentioned being in Dublin, and before that, he’d been on the East Coast for several more years.
His lips quirked into another smile that lit up his eyes and chased away the tension in his face. “Right again, love. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The fact that you’re duine and my mate is going to get some hackles up, especially if they want me as pack leader. Not that it makes a bit of difference to me. You’re all that matters, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s just one more reason for me not to become alpha. And though I can’t guarantee how things will play out, just know that no matter what happens, I’ll take care of you.”
It sounded a bit like she was jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, though none of it really mattered when she had enough of her own problems—especially when she was keeping one big-ass secret from Greyson. If she did end up marrying him, and her secret came out, she’d only end up making things a hell of a lot worse for him. Her being a human would be the least of his problems.
That meant that she couldn’t let him go through with it, even if she didn’t have a clue as to what that would mean for her own safety. “Greyson…all of that is just more of a reason why I can’t marry you. You need to put your pack first, and if you’d be the better leader, then you need to go for it. If marrying me is going to make that difficult, then just add that to the top of one very long list of why we can’t get married.”
“If the pack wants me to lead, then they’ll take me with you at my side. End of discussion.” He shook his head, his eyes darkening with frustration. “Like I said, I have no real desire to be pack leader. And you’ve forgotten the little fact that you’re my mate—the one I’m fated to be with. The only way I’ll truly be happy is with you at my side and in my bed, so if you think I’m going to walk away from you and set myself up for a lifetime of misery, you can guess again.”
She wanted to groan. “The whole fated mate thing? Sorry, but I’m not buying that you couldn’t find someone else in the whole world who could make you happy—and would give you a hell of a lot less headaches.”
“You may be right on that count, at any rate.” His sarcastic smile had her playfully swatting at him—only to have him easily block her teasing blow, catching her wrist in his grip as he shifted closer, raising her hands up over her head and pinning them there. “You, my dear, are my mate, whether you like it or not—and you will be marrying me. Am I making myself clear?”
With her wrists trapped in one of his large hands, she struggled to get them free, even as he ran a hand down her body, pausing to cup her breasts and pinch her nipples. There was something about being trapped and at his mercy—all while knowing she was safe—that had her body immediately reacting to him. “You’ll regret marrying me, Greyson. Not that I’m saying I will.”
“You will, love. And the only thing I’d ever regret is letting you walk out of my life or letting you get yourself killed—and I’m not going to let either of those things happen.” He looked down at her with those gold eyes of his, his muscular body pressed against her side in a reminder of what it was like to be on the receiving end of all that power and passion. “So, just in case you haven’t figured this out yet, let me repeat it for you—you are my mate, and we will be getting married. Tonight.”
“Well, I’m glad I get a say in all of this.” And though she might be protesting—because let’s face it, it truly was insane to be marrying someone she’d only just met—she had very few options that didn’t involve attempting to figure out how to keep herself from getting mauled—or worse. “Anything I should know about you then?”
“All you really need to know is that I’m loyal. I’ll never cheat or lie. And I’ll always take care of you and keep you safe.”
In the past, she’d have said that she could take care of herself—but these days, she wasn’t so sure.
“I can guarantee you loyalty too—I’m not the sort to cheat either, and I swear, no matter what I do, I always mean well, even if it sometimes backfires.” What else could she say when she couldn’t tell him that she was not only responsible for Atticus’s death, but the lives of two others in addition? That certainly made it difficult to promise she wouldn’t lie to him. “But before we do something we might eventually regret…I need you to tell me about the whole shifting thing—and what it would mean if I became a shifter.”
“No, Juno…no fucking way. It’s not happening.”
Chapter Nine
Greyson regretted telling Juno that becoming a shifter was an option, since it was terribly dangerous and most people didn’t survive the excruciating transformation. And yet, he’d had to tell her, since she’d skin him alive if she found out later that he’d somehow kept it from her.
“Trust me when I tell you…” Greyson trailed kisses down the length of her neck, raking his teeth over her delicate skin, her scent filling his head and making him want to ravage her. His free hand started to wander over her body, her wrists still trapped in his grip, as his hard length ached to take her once again. “Marrying me is the better option.”
“I don’t doubt it, Greyson…especially when you do stuff like…that.” She gasped as he nipped at her ear and pinched her nipple. “But if you’re trying to distract me, it’s not going to work.”
“Then maybe I need to try harder.” Nestling himself between her legs, he pressed his hard length along her pussy, grinding against her as her hips tilted up to meet his as if of their own volition.
She bit back a moan and struggled to get her hands free of his grip. “You need to stop that. I want answers, damn it.”
If it was information she wanted, then he’d give it to her—and though he finally let her go, it was only so he could make quick work of tearing the clothes from her body. “Only one in ten survive the transformation from start to finish, sweetheart.” He rid her of her top and bra, so she was now naked from the waist up as he worked her jeans off. “When you transform, it’ll feel like every bone in your body is being smashed and shattered as it re-knits into its new form. The pain is so excruciating, the heart usually gives out. And if you somehow manage to survive that, you then need to fight through the insanity and fever that will infect your brain.”
There…naked. And with the amount of experience he had getting out of his clothes in a hurry to shift, it took all of fifteen seconds before he, too, was naked and sinking into her, her body tight and slick around his cock.
“Damn, Greyson…you don’t take things slow, do you?”
He pulled out of her until just the head of his cock remained buried in her tight cunt, and then thrust into her again, loving how she gasped in response with a needy cry.
“I’ll take things slow once I’ve fucked you into submission, June bug. And maybe then you’ll even agree to marry me.” He gave her a shit-eating grin as she shook her head and wrapped her legs around his, raking her nails down his back. The flicker of pain spurred him on, as he fought back the building energy of his orgasm. “You’re a feisty thing, aren’t you?”
Each hard thrust pulled yet another needy moan from her lips, her hips rocking to meet his as his pace increased and she gave him a sultry smile. “Hope you weren’t looking for someone timid and agreeable.”
“Never.” Gripping her ass to keep them coupled, he rolled them over so she was now straddling him, his hands gripping her hips as he took her in, a smile tugging at his lips. The girl was gorgeous, her skin luminous, with full pert breasts that were tipped with dark rosy areolas and pert nipples, her lilac locks falling over her shoulder as she rode him. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Juno… Marry me. Let me make you happy.”
“And you’re so gorgeous, I don’t even know where to start…but I can’t think…not when you’re fucking me.” She ran her hands up his chest as she rocked her hips up his length before pivoting them and slipping her sweet cunt down his length, repeating it over and over, like a sensuous dance of incredible pleasure. Needing her close, he sat up and
wrapped an arm around her waist, sucking her nipples into his mouth, each hard tug eliciting a needy cry from her lips as she arched over his arm, giving herself to him in offering.
Running his hands down her smooth back to her plump ass, he gripped it firmly and pulled her to him with each deepening thrust, and then pressed a finger to the bud of her ass, making her frantic. Her pace quickened as she teetered on the edge, clinging to him as she bit his shoulder, stifling the cries of her orgasm as her body trembled and quivered in his arms. He slowed his thrusts, so as not to overwhelm her, milking every last bit of her orgasm from her, before he slipped her off his cock and got her on all fours so he could take her behind.
Fucking hell…he wouldn’t last, looking at that plump ass of hers. He gave it a hard slap, sinking into her as she cried out. He half expected her to glare at him, but instead she looked over her shoulder at him with a mischievous smile. “Do that again, Greyson.”
He swore, the girl was full of surprises. “Happily.”
He pulled free of her, ignoring his need to be buried in her sweet cunt, alternating between her two cheeks as he slapped her ass repeatedly, pulling a needy cry from her lips with each stinging strike. Her pale skin was marked red with his handprints, but as she buried her face in the crook of her elbow to stifle her moans, it tilted her ass higher up in the air.
Grabbing her hips in a bruising grip as if it might keep him from ravaging her, he slowly slipped his hard cock into her, inch by inch, until he was fully buried and his head was spinning. He stayed there with her body tightening around him, pulsing with her need, until he could take no more. With a long, slow draw, he pulled out of her until he was nearly unsheathed, and then pounded his next thrust into her, again and again, his pace starting to quicken as he claimed her body as his once more.
Dropping forward so his chest was now pressed to her back, he wrapped an arm around her as he drove into her, pausing to tease and pinch her nipples, before his hand slipped around her neck with gentle pressure. Energy coursed through him like the crackle of lightning building in a summer storm, and when he spoke, he all but growled the words. “You’re fucking mine, Juno.”
And then she was coming, crying out so half the mountain could hear her, as he joined her, his cock pulsing his seed deep inside her, as his heart pounded in rhythm to hers.
“Marry me, Juno.” Holding her in his arms with his cock still buried deep inside her, he covered her face and neck in gentle kisses, before finally capturing her mouth with his in a slow and sweet kiss, even as his cock started to grow hard again, his hips slowly rocking against her as he started to take her once more.
“I suppose I might just have to—but please, Greyson…I just need a little more time to wrap my head around it all.” She looked up at him, her eyes pleading with him for some understanding.
“We’re taking a risk to put it off, but…I know this isn’t easy for you. We’ll see if we can give it a few more days. Maybe take off for a bit and head into the mountains.” It’d buy them a bit of time at least, since they’d be deep in pack territory, and the bears would have a hard time catching up to them without getting found out.
She gave him an easy smile and stole a lingering kiss. “Sounds perfect.”
And this time when he took her, he took her slow and sweet, knowing he was one step closer to being with his mate.
***
Greyson watched Juno wander about his kitchen, opening and closing the cabinet doors as she hunted around for whatever it was she was looking for. He swore, he’d never tire of watching her. “I can’t believe you’re going to cook me dinner. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I had a decent home cooked meal.”
She gave him a teasing smile over her shoulder as he leaned against the counter so he could watch her work. “It’s my attempt to get you to rethink this whole marriage thing. I figure once I give you food poisoning a few times, you’ll be happy to let the bears have me.”
Fucking hell… He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, tangling his fingers in her lilac hair as he forced her to look at him. “Don’t even joke about that, Juno. Have you not seen the bruises on your body from the attack? Aren’t you sore?”
She let out a little laugh, humor dancing in those aqua eyes of hers, making her look like a pixie. “I am. But that’s probably because you’ve fucked me a half dozen times since morning.”
“Are you complaining? Because I have every intention of fucking you another half dozen times before the night’s over.” He’d had a constant hard-on since he first laid eyes on her, and it wasn’t showing any signs of letting up.
“Shocking.” Her lips quirked into a teasing smile. “Maybe we should watch a movie instead—or get ready for that trip up into the mountains. You know…so that I’ll actually be capable of riding on that dirt bike without cringing. ’Cause I’ve got to tell you, I’m not sure what it’s like for female shifters, but my girly parts are human, and they’re getting sore.”
“Fair enough. Besides, I can think of more than a few activities to keep us busy—and one that might even heal what ails you.”
Chapter Ten
Juno tasted the mashed potatoes and added a little more salt, as Greyson grabbed a few plates so he could serve up the steaks she’d cooked. Of course, it’d figure that Greyson wanted his still practically mooing. And though they were having quite the mundane evening as they sat down to have dinner and watch a movie, on the inside she was still freaking out.
Clearly, she had very few options, and yet if she just held off for a bit, then maybe new options would open up to her. Because getting married was freaking her out, especially when she’d yet to tell Greyson about her little curse.
And…maybe she wasn’t one-hundred percent convinced that she couldn’t escape to some remote part of the world without the bears finding her. A remote town in the Scottish Highlands…Paris…New York…a little Greek island…Tokyo… Was she really worth the effort, especially when there was no real proof that she’d killed Atticus?
“If your plan was to have me second-guessing getting married to you based on your cooking, you’re shit out of luck, June bug. This is fucking fantastic.” Greyson was already helping himself to seconds. Good thing he’d warned her about a shifter’s appetite, since she’d have likely cooked nowhere near enough food.
“Well, I’m glad you liked it. Now I just need to wait for the sedative to kick in, so I can make my escape.” She gave him a teasing smile, and though she was just kidding, she would have considered it, given half a chance. Except, she had no sedatives and there were still some very pissed-off mangy bears wandering the woods who wanted to maul her.
“Don’t even fucking joke about it, Juno. You may have gotten lucky when it came to Atticus dropping dead before he really got the chance to hurt you, but you won’t be so lucky again. They’ll tear you to pieces before you can blink—or worse.” Greyson glared at her, though she knew his frustration with her was out of concern. “Like I said, if I need to tie you to my bed to keep you from doing something stupid, I will.”
“And of course, this whole tying me to your bed wouldn’t involve a whole lot of sex, would it? Especially since I wouldn’t be able to get away.” Not that he’d assault her in any way. That at least she thought she knew.
“You’re my mate, Juno. That said…I’d never force myself on you.” He looked so serious—and worried—it had her reaching across the table to give his hand a squeeze, knotting her fingers with his. “I’m not saying I always manage to keep a cool head when it comes to fucking you. I know I don’t. And I know I can be…intense. But fuck…not like that. You know that, right?”
“I know.” And she did. She knew he’d never rape her, even if sex with him left her feeling…ravaged and well-used. And she’d be lying if she tried to deny that his intensity and aggressiveness when it came to sex turned her on to no end, as did the thought of being tied to his bed and at his mercy. She knew how wrong that sounded after being attacked by those as
sholes, and yet it didn’t change the way her body reacted to him.
“It turns you on, doesn’t it?” His gold eyes skimmed over her face and body, taking her in, as if his keen wolf senses were picking up on every nuance, every beat of her heart, every breath, and reading her every thought and desire as if she’d simply told him everything there was to know. “You want me to tie you to my bed and have my way with you… You want me to fuck you until your bones turn liquid and there’s nothing left of you but your need for me. Isn’t that right?”
She felt her cheeks flame with an embarrassing heat, even as her pussy went wet and ached for him to fuck her once more. And yet, how could she admit to such a thing? “Why the hell would I want to give up that sort of control? So you can do anything you want to me? And meanwhile, I’ve known you how long?”
“You’ve known me long enough to know I’d mean you no harm. That said, you might be protesting, but everything about you—including your scent—tells me that you want me to strip you naked and leave you at my mercy.” Greyson leaned in so she could see the flecks of brown in his gold eyes, wearing a crooked smile that was all too smug and knowing. “Just be thankful I’m not into sharing, since you’re my mate. Or I wouldn’t be the only one ravaging you.”
“Is that a thing then with shifter packs? Sharing mates?” It’d be good to know since she was going to be stuck living among his pack for the foreseeable future—unless she found a way out of this mess.
“It’s rarer to share a fated mate, though it’s pretty common to share sexual partners. Even I’ve shared women, since there aren’t many female shifters around. It’s become a bit of a problem. The males either need to share, eliminate the competition, or go outside the pack. And not everyone finds their fated mate. With people moving away from their packs, the shifter population has dispersed, so it’s become harder to find that person you’re meant to be with. Then again, sometimes you meet them or have known them all your life, and you don’t immediately realize they’re your mate.” He leaned in and brushed her cheek before stealing a kiss. “You don’t know how lucky I am to have actually found you.”