by M. L. Briers
He’d killed for her, and yes, he would have died for her – still would – always and forever making her his one priority.
Griffin’s wild side was still up front and center from that fight with Angus, and he didn’t know how long he could keep a semblance of rationality about him before he lost his mind to his own needs and desires.
The sound of a mating howl went up through the house and shook the windows.
Mine…
That only added to the fevered need within his blood.
Keri could see the wildness within him. It was written on his face and staring back at her in those jet black eyes – that only heightened the excitement within her.
The man was a wildling. Wild in every sense of the word.
He was becoming as close to feral as a shifter could get without turning into a rogue wolf.
His hips started to move, and he took her from the tip of his cock all the way down the thick shaft to the hilt and all before he’d even made it to the bed.
“Faster – bond – bite – do it,” Keri ground out against the already tightening knot within her.
Griffin bit down on the fever within his blood. She was a temptress, but not a tease.
He leaned forward and pressed her lower back against the bed – one arm still wrapped around her upper body, keeping her against him, and one hand fisting her hair to move it from her neck and shoulder.
Mine…
His beast was clawing within him. He could feel the hard prickle of the fur beneath his skin, and he was close to losing his mind.
His hips met hers, over and over, as his cock created the heat and friction within her channel that made her gasp, moan, and rumble what sounded like another damn growl to him.
Keri’s inner muscles were locking up tightly, making him work harder to bury his length to the hilt.
He growled hard as he allowed his feral side to push forwards.
His fangs elongated as he ran his tongue over her soft skin and he readied himself for the moment when he could bite.
Every inch of her body tensed in anticipation, and then she was flying free, lost in the rapture that pounded through her body like storm driven waves crashing against a beach.
Griffin’s fangs buried deeply inside her flesh.
The taste of her blood swept over his tongue and down the back of his throat, and his beast roared within him.
He reached for her very soul and joined them together as one.
Griffin eased his fangs from her flesh and sealed the wound as best that he could with his tongue.
The bonding mark was in place – she was truly his, but, there was just one more problem.
Griffin was damn close to losing his sanity.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
~
Griffin grunted, snorted, and growled as his lust for her took over.
His desire to complete the bond. His need to find his own happy ending, and spill his seed inside of her womb was like a fire within his blood, within his very soul, and it wouldn’t be denied.
Pent up tension clawed within him now that his beast was sated.
His muscles burned with the fire of straining so damn hard to reach that happily ever after that eluded him.
His head craned back on his neck, and the muscles and sinews of his body were close to breaking point as he thrust inside of her.
He could feel her inner muscles, still in the fluttering stages of the end of the first orgasm, as they started to tighten once more.
He reached for her wrists and pushed her hands back against the mattress as his whole body caged her in.
Lust, need, desire, and desperation clawed within his very soul.
The sound of her moans, of hissed curses, of her begging for the mercy of another release battered his already lost mind, the heated friction of his cock inside of her was almost too much to take.
And then he felt her body tense a moment before she cried out at the intensity of the orgasm that tossed her body to the four winds and took her away from him once more.
The hard, relentless clench and release of her inner muscles suckled his seed from within his balls, and his body strained one last time, before the hard growl that rolled through his chest turned into a roaring mating howl the moment that he buried his cock to the hilt inside of her and his seed hit a home run.
Over and over, until he thought that he couldn’t take one more moment of the extreme, intense pleasure that took his body; he spilled his seed inside of his mate until he had nothing left to give.
Griffin couldn’t breathe – he couldn’t think – he couldn’t move – his muscles were locked tightly, ensuring that he stayed in place as they quivered under the stress.
It took everything that he had left within him to collect Keri against his chest and crawl across the mattress on his knees.
He practically collapsed on his side, bringing her with him inside the security of his arms, as he protectively curled his body around hers.
One.
Joined.
Mated.
Bonded.
Forever his.
He was a damn happy man, a lucky alpha, and a blessed mate.
~
~
~
“I guess in the grand scheme of how the day went – two matings out of three isn’t to be sniffed at.” The vampire had something of a smirk on his face for Lucas when the beta snapped his head around and growled deep within his chest.
The party was still in full swing around them.
The vampire sat on a wooden reclining garden chair with his feet against the kick plate, and the beta sat on the long covered swing, with his mate lying asleep beside him. Her head was in his lap and his mind was more than wandering.
“Bite me,” Lucas growled and watched as Percival’s shoulders jumped up and down with the silent laughter that took the man.
“Now – now, got get all fangs and claws because your siblings managed to control how much alcohol their mates ingested.”
“I am seriously going to rip out your fangs and hand them to you,” Lucas grumbled to himself as the vampire continued to revel in the misery that the beta felt.
He was happy that he had found his mate – but, he would have been happier if she was fast asleep on his lap because he’d loved her to total and pure exhaustion.
“Oh, alright then – I’ll go easy on you,” Percival sighed.
“You will?” Lucas shot him a look of suspicious disbelief as his tone dripped with acid.
“No,” Percival chuckled. “Until you bond with your mate, I’m going to drag your backside three ways from Sunday, but I did give you a minutes grace there.”
“You’re a butthole,” Isla muttered before she tasted what she could only imagine licking a carpet in a bar would be like on her tongue, and she pulled a face.
“It speaks,” Percival announced, and the witch snorted.
“It zaps too, so behave yourself,” she grumbled.
She wasn’t sure that she had to energy or the mental capacity to actually perform magic if she’d wanted too, but that didn’t matter. She could feel her mate all around her, and she felt more than safe.
“Go on, zap him,” Lucas urged as he grinned at the vampire like the wolf that got the bunny.
“I fear I would mix up my spells and turn him into a frog,” Isla sighed.
“That’s good too,” Lucas said.
“That’s not good,” Percival bit out in disbelief. “Think of the damn consequences before you encourage a drunken witch to do something stupid – not that everything they do, drunk or sober – isn’t stupid to begin with.”
Percival bit down on the sudden pain that burst to every nerve in his body. He grunted.
His muscles twisted into knots and his head felt as if it was about to explode right then and there on his neck, and then it was over as quickly as it had begun.
“Nope, I’m all good. I still got it,” Isla announced, prying open her eyelids and seeing the vam
pire through Scotch and beer induced fuzzy eyes.
“Oh joy to the bloody world…,” Percival bit out.
“Sour grapes,” Lucas chuckled.
“Actually, the wine is quite good. It’s your company that spoils it,” Percival shot back, snorting in contempt for the beta.
“Does that include me?” Maria asked as she leaned over the back of the vampire’s chair and held out a plate of variable goodies in front of the man’s nose.
“You – I love to the end of my days,” Percival oozed charm.
“Keep annoying the witch, and you won’t have many left,” Maria warned him.
“Amen to that.” Isla chuckled.
“I’m taking you to bed,” Lucas said.
“I couldn’t possibly leave this wonderful plate that Maria has prepared for me,” Percival said. “But, I appreciate the offer.”
The vampire’s head snapped to one side on his neck as every muscle in his body felt the sharp sting of magic.
“Point taken,” he bit out and felt the instant relief as the witch pulled back on her magic.
“And just you remember that,” Isla said.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
~
“Halloween, Father?” Griffin folded his arms across the broadness of his chest and eyed the priest in disbelief.
“A Halloween fair to be exact. Much like the summer fair, but with ghosts, ghouls, and monsters,” The priest said.
“We should feel right at home,” Percival muttered as he leaned back in the recliner chair at the end of the room, and eyed Edna as she appreciated the alpha’s physique one more time.
“But, it’s Halloween?” Griffin said again, and the priest sighed.
“Not exactly a church holiday, I admit, but the church roof won’t pay for itself now, will it?” The priest shrugged his shoulders.
“I like a good monster or two,” Edna announced, and all eyes turned towards her. “Especially the vampires.” She added, with a wicked look of mischief in her eyes as she dipped her chin and eyed Percival.
“Vampires have always been my favorite,” Percival said, eyeing the woman right back, as he looked into her mind, finding what he needed as he snatched at her thoughts.
“She knows,” he breathed out for Griffin’s benefit.
The alpha tensed a little in his stance. If Edna knew – he had to wonder if the priest knew.
“He knows too,” Percival said, reading the Alpha's mind as well, and shaking his head in disbelief as he pushed up to his full height and started a slow walk towards them.
“Some people in the church find the celebration of Halloween… distasteful,” Father Ted said. Then he shrugged his shoulders once more.
“You don’t say?” Percival said.
“Oh, I do.” Father Ted shot back. Then he took a moment to pretend that he was considering it before he spoke. “Personally, I like to think that all of the things, seen, and what goes unseen, under Heaven and on the earth, can and should… be celebrated.”
“You do?” Griffin eyed him.
“I do,” Father Ted grinned. “Of course, everything is hypothesis and theoretical… isn’t it?”
“It is?” Griffin was lost in thought. “It is!” He’s gotten the nudge in the ribs from the vampire and had snapped back to it.
“Well, I’m pregnant with your pup, so you’d better stop coming home at all hours and leaving your dirty paw prints on the kitchen floor!” Isla grumbled, growled, and snapped at her mate as they walked by the office door.
Griffin opened his mouth to speak, but Father Ted got there first.
“Someone say something?” He looked around as if mystified.
“I don’t have my hearing aid turned up,” Edna shrugged her shoulders on the lie.
“Halloween fair sounds fun,” Percival announced.
“What do you need us to do?” Griffin asked, groaning and growling on the inside.
“Well,” Father Ted said with a big beaming victory smile.
“You have so many big, strong, muscle…” Edna was interrupted by Father Ted’s cough, and she cleared her throat and snapped to it. “Providing the manpower would be good.”
“Done,” Griffin said.
“And so many lovely ladies to help with the…”
“Done,” Griffin didn’t bother to wait for the punch line.
“And then there’s the pitch where we had the summer fair,” Father Ted said.
“Done,” Griffin said with a nod. Father Ted opened his mouth to speak, but Griffin cut him off. “Done. Free of charge, considering the good cause. Would you like us to supply the blood too?”
“Fake, of course,” Percival chuckled.
“Of course,” Edna grinned. “Waste not want not,” she muttered.
“No. I think we’re done.” Father Ted announced with glee.
“I think we have been,” The vampire muttered.
“Well, lovely visit,” Father Ted said as he clapped his hands together and rubbed hard, possibly at the thought of all the cash he’d just saved before he motioned for Edna to make haste towards the door.
“Griffin! Neal is growling again, and Penny’s chucking up with morning sickness, and I can’t get anywhere near her!” Keri bit out as she stormed into the room, stopping dead in her tracks at the sight of the priest and his sidekick. “Oh God...”
“Praise him!” Percival shot out with a snigger.
“Amen to that,” Edna nodded.
“Another pregnancy, my… that’s fast.” Father Ted grinned.
“Speedy little suckers,” Edna muttered at his side, and the priest chuckled.
“Three, actually…” Keri laid her palm against her own stomach.
“Shall we talk Christenings? You want to book early,” Father Ted announced with a gleam in his eyes.
“Over my dead…” Keri started.
“And of course, we would love to make a hefty donation to the church roof fund,” Griffin announced as his mate kicked up her heels, turned, and shot back out of the room muttering to herself.
“Hormones,” Percival added.
“Oh, hormones can be such a witch,” Edna nodded.
“A really sizable chunk for the roof,” Griffin grumbled.
“Can’t they though,” Percival grinned.
“You are far too generous, Griffin. I thank you,” Father Ted said, holding out his hand and motioning Edna towards the open door.
“It’s what good neighbors are all about,” Griffin offered back, rolling his eyes in his head towards the vampire as the Priest chuckled.
“That was like shooting fish in the barrel,” Percival muttered. “The hunter becomes the prey.”
“Bite me,” Griffin growled back.
“Not in front of the clergy…,” Percival grinned at the glare that came his way from the alpha.
~
~
~
“Well, I for one am looking forward to the Halloween fair,” Keri announced before she attacked the full English breakfast that she had before her as if she hadn’t eaten for a week.
“It’s not like we got to enjoy the summer one,” Isla said, tipping the bowl of scrambled eggs towards her plate and scooping out a nice hearty portion as she mentally licked her lips.
“Not while being stalk, chased, and hunted by wolves,” Penny chuckled as she tossed the last of the bacon onto her plate and looked at the disappointed face of her mate as he sat across from her at the table.
Neal had been patiently waiting his turn for seconds, and now found there wasn’t much of anything left.
“Has anybody else noticed how we never get leftovers anymore?” Lucas asked, and three sets of witchy eyes came towards him and glared.
It wasn’t as if they could comment – not with their mouths full.
“Careful, brother,” Neal warned him. “There are far worse things than being zapped.
“Death by a thousand forks,” Griffin chuckled.
“Oh!” Keri said, and then swallowed
hard. “And whose fault is it that we have such healthy appetites?” She gave her mate an accusing look.
“I said nothing,” Griffin said, holding up his hands in surrender as he grinned widely, and she reached over and stabbed half of a sausage on his plate with her fork. “Even when you take the food from my plate,” he chuckled.
“These pregnancy cravings are killing me,” Isla bit out in disgust. “I hate chocolate! It repulses me.”
“Who hates chocolate?” Penny shook her head in disbelief.
“I know, right?” Isla agreed.
“No coffee,” Keri shook her head in disgust.
“No alcohol,” Penny grumbled.
“And no sex for you if you don’t hand over that strip of bacon!” Isla pointed her fork at her mate’s plate, and he had the urge to wrap his arms around his food and guard it with his life – and the overriding need to provide everything that she could ever want.
“Take it!” Lucas held up his hands in surrender.
“Goddess give me strength,” Keri muttered before she went in for the kill with the sausage on her fork.
“It never stood a chance…” Neal commented, watching the witch devour it.
“Neither do we if you keep flapping your jaws,” Lucas growled.
“Don’t growl at him,” Penny snapped, and her mate chuckled. “As for you – dog house.”
Lucas chuckled into his hand at his brother’s expense. Griffin eyed the witches at the table. Each one was pregnant. Each one was carrying the next generation of the pack.
He’d never been so damn happy and content in his life.
The End.
Thanks for Reading. I’ve loved reading your reviews on Amazon and the emails that you’ve sent me, and I wanted to thank you for taking the time to tell me what you think of the series.
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