by Crystal Dawn
I could almost see the wheels turning in Sherona’s mind. I wanted to know what she was thinking and make sure she wasn’t upset. She had said she knew I had a past, but that didn’t make it easier to deal with. I wasn’t sure how I would deal with knowing Sherona had mated, loved and started a family with another before I knew her. Jealousy was a hard emotion to deal with. I knew I wasn’t her first and that already made me pulse with envy for the one that had taught her about love.
I couldn’t sense any hurt but Sherona could hide her feelings better than the average human. Now that she was changing those skills would only improve. I pulled her into my arms to offer comfort whether she needed it or not. Maybe I was the one that needed it now that I had begun to wonder what, or more importantly who, was hiding in Sherona’s past. I pressed my lips to hers, so soft and moist, they were delectable. I tried to consume her with my mouth, my need running away from me. I wanted to make her feel better than she had ever felt before. More pleasure, more need and finally more release. I picked her up carrying her to my bed where I gently lay her in the center.
I looked down at my mate. So lovely with her pink cheeks, bright eyes and her heavy breathing pushing her breasts up at me like an offering. It was an offering I would accept. I slid next to her on the bed where I could reach out and touch her wherever I wanted. I cupped one firm breast in my hand and brushed my thumb over her nipple. It immediately hardened and she whimpered with need. I felt a feeling of possessiveness stronger than anything I’d ever felt come over me. Need coursed through me and I tore her shirt off her. The bra went next and I feared that I had scared her but she arched into me wanting more.
My mouth watered at the sight of her small perfect breasts with the large hardened nipples just begging to be tasted. I dropped my mouth to the nearest one and tugged it firmly . The salt of her skin mixed with the almost berry taste of her nipple and I groaned in response to the hunger it kindled in me. My hand massaged the other breast and she writhed beneath me as I leaned over her. It was my deepest desire to taste every inch of her body and explore all her secret places. Unfortunately, I knew we didn’t have the time to do that properly so I would do what I could. I planned to do much more before too much time passed.
I tasted her other nipple, not wanting to ignore it. It hardened instantly, responding perfectly. Everything about my mate matched my desires exactly. I could not have designed a more perfect match than the goddess had made for me. I unfastened her pants so I could continue my tasting. I slid them down and pulled them off her. I tossed them on the floor and turned my attention to her now fully bare body. I started at her belly button, kissing, licking and nipping at her skin. I moved down slowly deliberately building her anticipation and I felt her shiver with need.
I drew in a deep breath pulling in the sweet musky scent of my mate’s arousal. I could imagine the delightful taste of her honey, but I had no need to. I moved my face into the crux of her thighs and ate straight from the honey pot. I lapped her sweetness and moaned with enjoyment. She was on the edge of bliss. Anything I did could set her off so I continued my enthusiastic licking and I slid a finger into her center. I finger fucked her a few moments and added another.
“Oh fuck, Ari!” She screamed as she started to come in hard jerks. I stuck my tongue in as deep as possible while I lapped up every drop. By now I had a raging hard on that would not be denied.
I slid up to lie on top of my mate and lined up our bodies using one smooth motion to impale my cock into her heated wet depths. I shivered, almost losing control and shooting my load too soon. I breathed deep and slow, calming my passion just enough to start the sexual dance that would bring us both the most possible pleasure. I sped up in increments until I was pounding into her steadily. I ground into her clit as I entered her fully every time. She wrapped her legs around me hooking her ankles and I found I missed the feeling of her toes sinking into my fleshy ass cheeks like they usually did.
She squeezed her muscles massaging my hard cock and making it harder for me to hold out while extending the enjoyment we both felt. She was feisty and tried to wrestle control from me that way but I refused to come too fast. My body shook with the strain but it would be worth it in the end. The slapping sound echoed in the room as our bellies hit and the bed shook with the force of our bodies moving. Even with beads of sweat forming on my brow from the physical and mental stress the control I exerted took on me, I held off until my whole body buzzed and I sensed her impending orgasm. When it hit it was like a force of nature. Her body bucked and twisted, tightening around my shaft so hard I feared it would be twisted off.
I was relieved when it simply forced the load of waiting seed from my body shooting hard and deep into hers. She clutched and clenched pulling every drop I had from me and my body continued to try to send more even after it was all gone. I lay over her dazed and amazed by what we had just participated in. It was a perfect match physically, mentally and emotionally. I managed somehow to roll to the side pulling her with me. I needed the contact even though I was exhausted and more drained than I could ever remember being.
I prefer to say that I fell asleep, but it might be more true to say we both passed out from our bodies receiving a bliss beyond what they were prepared for or even made to handle. I saw stars for the first time in my life and I was ready to become a space explorer. The more I discovered about this mating with Sherona, the more I wanted to experience. She was still mostly human and I couldn’t wait to see how things were once she was fully wolf. It would be a journey that I was blessed to take with her. To rediscover the joys of being wolf that I had learned when I hit puberty and all my abilities fully developed.
I wanted nothing more than to do that right now, but I wasn’t sure she was ready yet and trouble followed me like impending doom. This rogue needed dealt with before Sherona and I could begin to truly enjoy our mated life. I wanted to stay awake but as I said before, we both fell into a deep slumber.
I think I might have dreamed because when I woke odd images danced through my head. Sherona still slept and I knew she would be angry of I didn’t wake her, but I felt she needed her sleep. She would be taking on new duties and there was a strong chance we might create a child since she had signs of heat. I got up, showered, dried, dressed and prepared to leave.
I looked at my sleeping mate once more before going. Her face looked younger than her years as sleep took all the worries and concerns from her. I hoped I would be able to deal with everything troubling our pack before she woke. I would come back victorious and she would forgive me for not waking her. Okay that might be an overly optimistic view, but once I dealt with the rogue, we would deal with anything else together. I leaned down and kissed her soft cheek and she shifted slightly on the bed. It almost looked as if even in her sleep she was seeking my warmth and comfort.
Her hand even reached out but when she touched nothing, she pulled it back. I would have sworn I heard her sigh in regret for not finding me. It was a wonder she didn’t wake, but I was glad for it. It allowed me to leave the room and leave my love at rest until I returned to her. I felt a tinge of guilt but I shook it off. I left the room and headed to my office. It wouldn’t be long before the rogue called, so our default plan had now fallen into place. It was too late to do anything but see how things played out.
I didn’t have a guess as to where he’d want to meet. I did expect it would be soon so I wouldn’t have a chance to prepare. I sent a prayer to the goddess that she would look out for the two sweet young females. They were just victims of circumstance but I had learned a long time ago that life wasn’t fair. I sat in my office with Edward and Jasper while we waited for the call.
“I think he’ll make you drive to a point and wait for another call to meet somewhere entirely different.” Jasper guessed.
“Why would he do that? Why not just pick a place far enough away and be done with it?” Edward asked.
“Let’s just agree he will make things as hard on us as possible.” I su
ggested.
“He will probably try to kill you.” Edward mentioned.
I rolled my eyes. “Ya think?” I asked sarcastically.
“Just make sure you wear the vest.” Edward said.
“Yes Mother, I’ll be sure.” I wasn’t really mad at him. I knew he was concerned and safeguarding me was his job. All my advisors took their responsibility for my safety seriously. Edward was just the one who repeated things too often when he was nervous. My stress over the situation was making me snap at him and I knew I shouldn’t. I would try harder to avoid the caustic comments.
Jericho entered the room and immediately picked up on the tension. “It’ll be alright. We’ve got every possibility covered.”
When had he become the one who reassured everyone? At least I knew if anything happened the pack would have a good leader to replace me.
The phone rang and the shrill sound made me jerk. I was way too tense and the waiting hadn’t helped. Maybe the rogue had factored that in.
“Strong.” I said as I answered the phone.
“That remains to be seen.” The voice said with a chuckle. “I hope you’re ready. I want to meet you in twenty minutes at those houses you burned down.”
“What is the significance of that?” I asked.
“There doesn’t have to be any significance. I’ll be there with the females. If you’re not there in time, you can come later and bury them.”
I started to say something but he had hung up. We looked at each other, they had all heard him too since the phone had been on speaker.
“He didn’t say to come alone.” Edward pointed out.
“We’d better hurry. He didn’t give us much time.” I said.
“We’ll make it, the SUV is outside.” Jasper explained.
We all got up and moved with deliberate haste. No one knew what we were heading into or how this would turn out. I wondered if he had someone watching us as we left or if he even cared what we did. He had someone valuable to us and he was prepared. I could only hope we were better prepared.
Chapter 6
Belonging
I woke up feeling warm all over. I felt different, like more than myself if that makes any sense. There was a connection to something greater than me and after I thought about it, I realized it was a sense of belonging. I had never felt like I belonged to my family. First because of my father and his relatives and later because I wasn’t the ‘forgive and forget’ type. I didn’t feel bad about it because it wasn’t like they had ever asked for forgiveness or attempted to make amends. They had just continued to treat me like a stranger who came around them from time to time.
My siblings and of course my mom were different. Adeline and Brantley weren’t the warm fuzzy types. They loved me as much as they loved anyone, but they were driven to succeed in their chosen careers. Adeline was military and we rarely saw her while Brantley was working his way up in the school system. It was his dream to someday run a college. They would both succeed barring a catastrophe.
T.J. was different and we were close. Without her, I would have been an emotional wreck and never been able to connect with Ari like I had because I wouldn’t have known how to show love or affection.
Now that I had thought of Ari, I was wondering where he was. His side of the bed was cold. He had been gone for some time. I was naked and just a tad sore. He was a sexual athlete and I would have to adjust or being sore all the time. I moved just a little bit, it wasn’t a bad soreness. It was the kind that reminded me of the marvelous time we had without limiting the possibility of having another equally wonderful time soon. The only thing missing was my mate. My mate. This was the first time I had thought of him that way. Not only had he melted my resisted, but he had bonded us fully and I was changing, I could feel it.
I could feel a fever taking hold every once in a while and the itching Ariel had mentioned moved around on my skin. It would have confused me had I not known what caused it. It made me glad I wasn’t the first one to go through this. There was someone I could talk to if things got bad. I couldn’t imagine how confused and different Ariel had felt when it had happened to her. She’d been lucky to have Blake. Which reminded me, where the hell was Ari?
I got up carefully, stretching and moving to make sure everything was where it should be and working correctly. It was, so I went to the shower to clean up and let the hot water relax my tense sore muscles. It was amazing sometimes what a nice, hot shower could do for a girl. Once I felt better, I got out and dried off. I knew I was moving slowly but I didn’t want to get a leg muscle cramp, those were so painful and to be avoided at all cost.
I went to the bedroom, but it was Ari’s not mine. I had no clothes here so I did what females often did. My pants were fine so I stole a shirt that looked more like a dress on me. I slipped out the door and hurried to my room. I don’t know why I bothered to be discrete, we were mated and that was the equivalent of married in this world. I suppose that while my mind knew it to be true, I didn’t feel mated. The only thing we had done had been to bite each other. It was something Ariel had said I should get use to since alphas were territorial and possessive, which made them mark their mates often. His bite had been enjoyable so I didn’t flinch at the thought of being bitten again.
I hadn’t seen anyone on the way to my room. I slipped in and dug through my clothes. I put on jeans and an old comfortable T-shirt and once I was dressed, I was ready to hunt my mate. As I headed back in the direction of his office I saw no one at all. I was beginning to get suspicious and my reporter senses were screaming at me. I couldn’t believe that he would leave me behind while he went in search of the rogue. But when I reached his empty office, I had to admit that was the most likely answer.
Disappointment was a bitter taste in my mouth. I questioned the warm feeling of belonging I had felt earlier. Would a partner ditch me as he so obviously had? I knew wolves were protective of their mates, but he knew who I was and what I expected of him. He had even said he wanted an equal, had what he wanted changed once he had me? I was sure those left behind would continue to avoid me. Did everyone know what he had done? Did T.J. know?
I decided to find out and I headed to the unfinished house where Jericho, T.J. and the baby were staying now. I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to call a baby a pup. This was a time of adjustment for me and Ari had not made a wise choice when he had changed the rules for our relationship. He might not have come right out and said I would be allowed to accompany him, but everything he had said had implied it. I needed a mate I could trust and I considered this a betrayal of trust. We were mated, it was too late change that. I was becoming wolf, it was too late to change that too. But if he thought I would just sit still and allow him to make all the rules and do as he wished while I did as he wished too, he would find that far from the way it would be.
I made it to T.J.’s house and knocked on the door. I felt guilty when little Joe started to cry. Whoops! I hadn’t meant to wake him and I’d been so upset at what Ari had done, I hadn’t even thought about how easily babies could wake. It was afternoon, but T.J. came to the door wearing a nightgown. Her hair was disheveled and she looked exhausted. I guess I was a terrible sister since I had been so caught up in my recent mating I hadn’t thought about helping her. Even if I had, I would have thought she would have had lots of help since she was the future alpha’s mate. Goes to show what I get for thinking.
“Aw Honey, I’m so sorry I woke him. Excuse my French, but you look like shit!” I exclaimed.
“Well thanks a bunch, Sis.” T.J. replied with a roll of her eyes and a step back from the door so I could enter. Maybe I was taking truthfulness to a higher level than needed. “We had a lot of help moving things in but the guys aren’t much for cleaning up and I worked until I was exhausted.”
“It’s nothing that a shower, some food and a bit of rest can’t fix.” I said with a smile. I went to the kitchen to start fixing some food while T.J. sat in a chair feeding little Joe and talking to me. She
spoke about two a.m. feedings, changings and life as a new parent.
“He’s so beautiful and I’ve never felt so much love well up inside of me. I just want everything for him.” She admitted.
“I’m going to try to help more. This newborn business looks even harder than I thought it might be.” I declared with a smile. My problems weren’t nearly as important as getting my sister back on track. I could tell she’d lost weight in just the day since I’d seen her. Her face looked much thinner and she was pale. “Where’s Jericho?” I asked and I didn’t intend it to sound like an accusation although it did.
Sis was immediately protective. “He had to work. There’s things he does that he can’t always get a replacement for, especially today. He helps a lot when he’s here, but he can’t take my place for feedings.”
I had to laugh at the picture in my mind of Jericho trying to hold the baby to his breast to feed him. I realized the reason no one was available was because they were dealing with the rogue today. It brought back my anger with Ari but I pushed it back. My sister didn’t need to be embroiled in my problems when taking care of Joe seemed to be rough enough on her. I was rethinking my desire to become a parent but it might already be too late.
I put a plate of pancakes in front of my weary sister. It was my breakfast specialty and all the ingredients had been handy. I fixed myself a plate and put up the leftovers. They’d be good for a couple of days. I started on the dishes, the sink was piled full. Now that I looked around and noticed, the place was a mess. How could it get this bad in two days? Oh yeah. It was all the pack muscle that had helped move them in. T.J. should have said she needed help, this was ridiculous. I filled the dishwasher and turned it on. One problem taken care of. I sat down and ate with her while we talked about everything under the sun. I would arrange for a teenager to come in and help her until she got a handle on this baby business.