by Celia Kyle
Lissa shook her head. She did love him, but not his Greek pride that wouldn’t let him say anything other than “mine.” Or perhaps that was his wolf speaking. Or his business mind that never gave up on a deal. It was just her luck that she fell in love with a Greek werewolf tycoon.
“I want the words, Galen. Am I your woman? What does it mean to be your mate? Am I just a convenient broodmare who gets left out of your life?”
A low growl came from him, not of anger but frustration. He closed the distance between them in two giant strides, and then she was enveloped in his firm embrace. Despite her large belly, he managed to hold her close and snug against him. “You are the one for me. I will never desire another. I want no other. We will rule this pack together. I will have an Alpha bitch to control the female wolves, that cannot be avoided, but I only share myself with you. Is this what you needed to know?”
“Yes.” It was everything to her. Everything she’d hoped for and she was afraid to let those hopes rise too high.
Galen grunted. “Good.”
Any further conversation was silenced by someone’s approach, and Perrin quickly filled the doorway his always-present bag in one hand. Worry coated his features, and he focused intently on Galen.
“What are you doing here? I told you to—”
“I know what you told me, but I could not stay away from my mate.” Galen’s eyes remained locked on her as he spoke to his brother. “Did you speak with Leo and Stavros?”
Perrin sighed and ran his free hand through his midnight hair. “Yes. An announcement will have to be made…”
“Yes, but not until I have properly cared for Lissa. Has the news spread of not only Andrea’s incarceration, but also the joy of their Alpha joining with his mate?”
“Galen, I’m concerned that Melissa—”
She didn’t know what was involved in an Alpha joining with his mate, but she wanted nothing more than to be with him in any way possible. She’d been stupid to listen to Andrea and not question Galen, to keep her mouth shut when Andrea abused her, but things were different now.
“Melissa is fine.”
“Your words last night.” Perrin reminded her.
“That was because of Andrea and her interference.” She tilted to the side to meet Perrin’s stare. “We’re going to straighten things out, Perrin. We’re going to talk.”
Galen lowered his head and nuzzled her neck, lips against her ear. “We will do more than talk.”
“I heard that,” Perrin snapped. “If, and I mean if, Lissa feels up to it and only then.”
Galen—her mate—growled anew and she rolled her eyes. “It’s his job to look after me.”
“That’s my job.”
A discreet cough sliced through their conversation and her mate turned his attention to the doorway once again to find Leo lingering. “Alpha?”
Lissa patted his chest. “Go take care of the pack. Perrin wanted to examine me and he will come give you a report as soon as he’s done.”
He brushed a soft kiss across her lips. “I do not wish to leave you—”
“But your pack needs you.”
“And she needs rest.” Perrin cut in again.
She received one last tender kiss, this one more firm than the last, but not nearly passionate enough for her tastes. “I will come to you when this is finished.”
With that, he released her and strode toward the door, stopping only long enough to murmur a few words to Perrin. The doctor’s cheeks flushed, but he nodded and then Galen truly was gone.
When Perrin was closer, she spoke. “What did he say?”
“He wanted to know if it was safe for you to do more than talk for he does not want his desires to hurt you.”
She licked her lips, a different kind of tension thrumming through her. “And what did you say?”
More redness. “I said yes.”
Perrin said yes, and Lissa… After all of this, with love still filling her heart, she wanted to say yes as well.
Chapter Nine
Lissa almost went to his room, snuck in and made herself at home, but she didn’t have that much self-confidence. No, her courage abandoned her after her long, hot shower and then she slipped into her nightgown. It wasn’t like what she’d worn for him before. The straps were not delicate thin strings and her breasts weren’t cradled by intricately woven lace. Silk did not caress her skin. No, she was heavily pregnant, which meant comfortable cotton that was thin so she didn’t get hot or constrict her movements.
She stared at herself in the mirror, looking at this tent of a nightgown that covered her, and wondered what Galen saw in her. She was… as big as a house. But when he looked at her with need in his eyes, she felt as she had when they met. Beautiful. Seductive. Wanted.
The question was, did he truly want her now? It’d been hours since she’d seen him, hours since the truth had been revealed and Galen stated he wanted her forever, in his bed and in his life. Even Perrin believed the same.
So why the doubts?
Because… She was as big as a house. And she’d hurt him. Andrea hadn’t just battered Lissa’s emotions, she’d torn their relationship in two. But Andrea wasn’t the one who walked away, she was just the catalyst. If she’d only…
Trusted in him. Believed in him. Admitted her feelings and…
A soft click drew her attention, a delicate scrape of metal on metal that sounded distinctively as if someone had opened her bedroom door. She tore her gaze from the mirror and agonizing over her appearance to slip from the bathroom into the bedroom. The second her feet touched carpet, she froze in place, unable to move.
Galen had come to her. He was rumpled and appeared weary, but he was here. In her room. His slacks were wrinkled, his shirt was half unbuttoned and exposed his deeply tanned chest, and his tie hung loosely around his neck.
“Galen?”
He turned toward her and his expression immediately cleared, the exhaustion suddenly gone. “Melissa… My mate…”
He sighed and padded toward her. When he reached for her, she readily went into his embrace, turning slightly which allowed her to rest her head on his chest. Her arm went around his waist while he did the same to her. His free hand came to rest on her distended stomach, and she relaxed as he gently stroked her belly.
“How are you?” He pressed his lips to her temple in a soft kiss. “How is our little one?”
“Good.” She lifted her head to meet his gaze. “How are you? How are things with the pack?”
“Better than last night, but not perfect.”
She winced, knowing her part in the drama and problems now surrounding him. “I’m sorry.”
“No. Never apologize for the trouble that woman caused.” He carefully withdrew from her and gently gripped her by the shoulders. “Why did you not tell me everything? She injured you. Why did you not tell me that?”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course!”
Lissa sighed. “The first time she hurt me, Leo saw her do it, but she ordered him to remain silent. I went to you and tried to talk to you about it, but he wouldn’t speak up and support me and you…” Self-loathing filled his expression and she was quick to continue. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“I have spoken with Leo. I have forgiven him. But I should’ve believed you.”
“You didn’t know me.”
“I knew I loved you,” the words were harsh and hoarse, but she didn’t care about the tone. She simply cared about the message.
“Loved?” She was so very afraid to hope.
“Love. I still do. Even when I was an idiot and didn’t see the truth. Even when you ran from me. I did not stop.” He released her shoulders and stroked her cheek. “I will never stop, my mate.”
Tears stung her eyes, and moisture blurred her vision. “I love you, too.”
“I know this.”
Cocky Greek. Cocky wolf.
But hers. All hers.
Silence wrapped around them, not a singl
e hint of other sounds invading her space. The house was quiet, the staff remaining unobtrusive. With the truth of Andrea’s actions came a new respect for her. While she had hoped they would forgive her and accept her for herself, she would take this thawing.
“Do you know how beautiful you are?” His fingertips glided along her jaw and down the delicate line of her neck. “Your skin is like silk and your lips taste like heaven. Being with you is what I live for. When you were gone…”
She placed two fingers over his lips. “I will never leave you again. I will learn to speak up and you will—”
“Believe in you without question. Never again will another come between us.”
Their son chose that moment to shift and turn inside her and Galen chuckled. “Except this one.” He dropped to his knees and pressed his mouth to her stomach. “Hello my little one, do not be so hard on your mama. Go to sleep now for papa. I must love your mama now.”
A heated flash burned her cheeks when she understood what he said. “Galen.”
He rolled to his feet with a teasing grin on his lips. “Yes, agapi mou? You have need of me?” He grasped her fingers and drew her toward the bed. “Because I have need of you. I must make you mine.”
Lissa pointed at her stomach. “This is a big sign that I am yours.”
He shook his head. “No, not enough. Not for wolves.” He stopped and brushed her hair behind her back, tracing the line of her neck and shoulder and only stopping where they met. “I would like to mark you here so all will know you are claimed.”
She wanted that too, despite it involving his teeth going into her flesh. “Yes.”
His eyes flared yellow, the wolf rushing forward and forcing his human teeth to turn into wolf fangs. “Now.”
She nodded. “Now.”
One moment she was standing in her room and in the next she was swept into his arms. He didn’t seem bothered by her added weight in the slightest and within seconds, he was striding down the hallway toward his own room with long, sure steps. She leaned her head against his shoulder, holding him tightly as he navigated the house. She enjoyed the feeling of being in his arms once again, the strength and power he possessed, making her feel safe and protected.
When his scent didn’t just fill her lungs, but also consumed her body, she realized they’d entered his room. His presence was in every surface, every piece of furniture and decoration. The room was emblazoned with his aromas and she felt her body awakening. As if it were trained to respond to him in this space. Walking into his bedroom was like flipping a switch. Memories of their time within the four walls assaulted her, reminding her of the past and urging her to embrace the present.
The space was familiar and yet… different. Different in that the bed had been repositioned, no longer in the same place she remembered and now one wall seemed consumed by mirrors. Galen padded toward the king-size bed, easing them closer.
“What…?”
“For you.” He carefully released her legs and gently lowered her to the ground. He kept his hands on her until he was sure she was steady.
She shot him a questioning glance. “What do you mean?”
“I cannot make love to you as we once did because of our son.” He repositioned her, making her face the mirror while he slid behind her. “Like this, I can. I can fill you and touch you and still see your eyes as I bring you pleasure.”
She shuddered with those words, her body already reacting to each syllable. Her center heated and ached while her breasts grew heavy and nipples hardened. The firm tips were easily visible behind to the thin cotton of her nightgown.
“Already you respond to me.” His hands abandoned her shoulders, sliding down the length of her arms, and then he reached around her to cup the large mounds. He gently kneaded her, thumbs stroking the tips and she trembled with desire. “Already you want me.”
“Yes.”
“Always.” He lowered his head and she watched as he opened his mouth wide and placed his fangs at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. He didn’t break the skin. He merely gave her a hint of what was to come and then released her. “Only ever me.”
“Yes.”
“Let me see you, agapi mou.” He abandoned her breasts and reached for her nightgown, slowly inching it up her body and exposing her bare skin to his gaze.
“Galen…”
“You’re as beautiful today as you were when I first saw you in the café. No, you are more beautiful. You are filled with our son. A fertile goddess.”
She couldn’t resist him and his web of words. So when he tried again, she didn’t make a sound as the cotton slid over her body. She was slowly exposed, the cloth caressing her and revealing her. A low rumble rose in his chest, the sound growing as more of her was revealed. She knew the sound, knew what it represented. He was anxious for her, his wolf desperate for her, and her belief was further confirmed by the press of his hardness at her back.
When he got to her stomach, she was unveiled in a rapid tug of fabric. It was as if the sight of her pregnant belly sent him over the edge.
“Agapi mou…” He reached around her once more, stroking her distended body. “Let me make you mine.”
She had only one answer. “Yes.”
Somehow she went from standing in front of him beside the bed to laying on her side on the soft surface with his nude body curled at her back. The long lines of his lean muscles conformed to her soft curves. The feel of his hardness against her bare skin sent a tendril of arousal through her. She wanted him now as much as she’d wanted him before. Even more so now. Her pregnancy had made her crave him with an urgency that almost frightened her.
He positioned her carefully, pillows in place to support her, support them both, and then he loved her in earnest.
Galen stroked her skin, teasing her breasts, caressing her stomach and sides before finally cupping the source of her pleasure. He slipped his fingers between her lower lips, teasing her moist flesh with an expert touch and sending her spiraling higher. She moved with him, careful shifts of her hips as she encouraged him to touch her where she needed most. He did the same, sliding his length against the globes of her ass as they took pleasure from each other.
And all the while their gazes remained locked in the mirror. She reveled in the appearance of his wolf, the brightness of his eyes and the sprinklings of gray fur that decorated his cheeks. He wanted her, both parts of him wanted her.
And she wanted him. She wanted to be his.
He continued tormenting her, circling her clit with the pads of his fingers, and driving her crazy with need. She rippled and tightened, anxious for his possession. She needed him. Desperately. She needed more than just his fingers and hot breath against her neck.
She ached to have him inside her with both his hardness and fangs.
“Please. Galen, please…”
“Tell me,” he growled and she was unable to deny him.
“Make me yours. Please.”
Once again he took control, easing her into a position that would give them both undeniable pleasure as he gently slid into her. He stretched her just as he had so many months ago, possessing her in a single, fluid thrust that consumed her.
She sighed when he was fully seated, the sound immediately followed by his satisfied purr. A wolf that purred.
From there, it became a careful, but no less passionate, slide of bodies. Of him thrusting in and out of her sheath, his hand still snug between her thighs and stroking her as he made love to her.
She catalogued each emotion that traversed his features, from love, to need, to a possessiveness that almost frightened her. But it couldn’t frighten her. Every one of those emotions belonged to Galen. Her love. Her mate.
She panted and fought for breath with the rising tide of pleasure. Her only comfort was that he was in the same condition. His moist breath bathing her skin, his mouth hovering over the juncture of her neck and shoulder. His teeth were long and sharp and ready to pierce her.
“Galen…�
� she whined.
“You must come, agapi mou. For me.”
She rippled around him, tightening and milking his intrusion as the first tremors of her release overtook her. With his words, she could do nothing but become a slave to the sensations. Pleasure like she’d never known, not even when they were first together, overwhelmed her. It consumed her in a blinding wave and she could do nothing but endure and embrace the sensations.
Distantly she recognized that Galen increased the pace of his lovemaking, making her ecstasy fly higher, and an echoing howl filled her ear. The sound was immediately followed by a sharp sting of pain that, rather than diminished her pleasure, magnified it. It sent another rushing orgasm through her, yanking yet another scream from her lips, his name bouncing off the walls of the room.
At that moment, he stilled. His hips no longer pumping in rhythmic thrusts and retreats. No, he was snug against her, his length throbbing within her core and she knew he’d found ultimate satisfaction as well.
They remained frozen in place, their bodies locked, until he gently withdrew his teeth and exposed the claiming bite. It was bloody, obviously, as well as purple and red with the damage he’d caused. And… beautiful.
He bathed the injury with his tongue, lapping up the remaining droplets of blood while sealing the wound. When that was completed, he carefully withdrew his softened length, leaving her utterly empty and bereft.
But not for long. She was without his touch for hardly a moment before he had her repositioned, easing her from the edge of the bed and trading places so she was snug in his arms while still laying on her left side. It was a confusing game of musical beds, but he was quick to explain why.
“I read in the book that’s pregnant mothers should not rest on their right side. I will rearrange the room so this is much easier next time.”
She wiggled against him, allowing her stomach to rest on his side. “You read about this?”
“You are my mate and pregnant with my pup. I will always care for you as well as I can. This is a small thing.” Arrogant Greek.
“And you think there will be a next time?”