The belts around her waist came loose first. He deftly worked the knots loose and then tore the dress from her body. Yes.
She caught the hem of his shirt and tugged it up. He obliged her and raised his arms so she could pull it free. His chiseled chest made her mouth water. The moonlight glistened off his sleek abs and she leaned down, tracing the tip of her tongue from one oblique to the other. The taunt muscles trembled beneath her tongue and she smiled.
Next she unbuttoned his jeans and pushed the pants down to his ankles. She licked her lips. Commando. Good boy. His cock thrust out from a nest of dark brown curls. Big, beautiful, and glistening with pre-cum. His scent filled her nostrils and she swiped her tongue across the velvety tip.
“Gods, Nicole.” He grabbed her shoulders, kicked out of his sandals and pants and pushed her to the soft turf a few feet from the car. His mouth descended to one of her nipples and he bit down.
She squeaked and squirmed beneath him, moaning as the biting turned to kissing. He sucked the hard nipple into his mouth again and then moved to the other. Sensations of pleasure coursed from her breasts, through her abdomen, and tugged at nerves connected to her clit. Her whole body burned to have him.
A growl rumbled from her chest. She shoved against the ground at her side and used the momentum to roll him to his back. His mouth fell open in surprise and his eyes flashed gold. She narrowed her gaze, noticing his fangs descend in his mouth.
She licked her lips and leaned down to kiss him, pinning him to the ground for only a moment before he sat up and wrapped her legs around his waist. She squeezed tight and rubbed her wet sex over the tip of his hard length.
“You are determined to be in charge, aren’t you?” He placed a kiss on her shoulder, then moved along her collarbone to her neck and nipped first one side and then the other. “I can’t wait to put my mark all over you.”
“It only takes one bite, kitty cat.”
He snorted. “Just for that, it will be more than one.”
She smiled. Good.
“Masochist.” He smiled against her skin and then nipped her earlobe.
“I said nothing.”
“No, but I could feel your arousal rise through our bond when I said it.”
His erection prodded her sex again and she angled her hips, trying to encourage him further. “Quit teasing me. I need you inside me, now.”
“I can’t deny such a plea,” Aaron replied, his lips parting into a wide grin. He slipped an arm behind her back and gripped the back of her neck, squeezing just enough to make her gasp. Then he thrust deep, filling her completely.
“Yes, Aaron.” Her heart raced and her breathing accelerated to short pants. His hardness soothed the ache that’d been growing inside her for so long. Magick swirled around them and surged between them, igniting her senses with tingles of electricity. An orgasm curled in her center, growing and twisting through each limb until it seemed every cell in her body teetered on the edge of exploding.
He rocked her up and down, driving so deeply he pushed against her womb with each thrust. Her pussy squeezed tightly, doing its best to keep him from withdrawing at all. Fire rushed across her skin and her fangs dropped in her mouth. She grabbed his hair and pulled his head up from her breasts.
A growl tore from his throat and he hissed at her.
She snarled back and bit down hard on his shoulder. His chest shuddered and he followed suit, biting into her opposite shoulder. In seconds, the pain switched to pleasure and their magick combined, solidifying the mate bond. He thrust once more and held her down hard on his cock. Her orgasm rushed forward like water bursting through a broken dam. She screamed into his shoulder as every muscle in her body contracted and every cell in her body heated with pleasure. The coppery taste of his blood coated her tongue, and finally his animal soul joined with hers.
“You are ours,” the unfamiliar voice of his leopard pushed into her mind.
Her wolf answered in kind, “With everything that we are.”
Aaron’s body stiffened and his release filled her body with his hot seed. He released her shoulder, licking the wounds from his fangs. They sealed quickly and he nuzzled her chin until she released his shoulder as well. She licked it before he grabbed her hair and pulled her head to the other side, growling ‘mine’ before sinking his teeth into her other shoulder.
She screamed again, surprised, pleased, and even more aroused by his roughness. Her pussy clenched his still-hard erection and the pain sent her tripping over the edge and soaring into a second orgasm. Her body throbbed and she struggled to take in air when every muscle in her chest painfully tightened.
He pumped inside her a few more times, and reached down between them to rub her swollen clit.
She moaned and squirmed. Two orgasms had made every bit of her sensitive, but especially that area. He wasn’t giving in. His jaws relaxed for a second, pulled out, and then bit down again while simultaneously pressing hard on her clit.
“Gods,” she wailed, helpless to do anything but ride out the tidal wave. His hold on her hair and shoulder rendered her immobile. She never let anyone take control if she could help it, but he’d taken everything, and it was a wonderful feeling.
He thrust once more and groaned through his second release. A few moments later, he withdrew his fangs again and licked her shoulder until the wounds closed. She shivered and leaned against his chest. There was nowhere on earth she would rather be. Ever.
Body, mind, and both souls were his.
CHAPTER TEN
Aaron sank to the ground and pulled Nicole down beside him. He rolled to his back and smiled when she threw a leg over his thigh and nestled her head into the crook of his shoulder.
His true mate was next to him. He never thought he’d find her, but here she was, the beat of her heart a steady thump against his ribcage. Her satisfaction flowed to him through the completed mate bond.
“Now you can carry me,” Nicole whispered.
A laugh built deep in his belly and erupted with a blast, echoing off the nearby cliffs. He squeezed her tightly and kissed her forehead.
“I love you.” It slipped right out. No pain. No hesitation. He loved her completely and without reservation.
“That’s good, because I fell in love with you somewhere along this crazy adventure, too.”
He chuckled and pinched the nipple on her exposed breast. He loved the little squeaks and grumbles she gave, pretending the pain bothered her. He knew better. Her arousal surged higher with each roll he gave the tender bud. Her magick curled around them and licked at his body like flames from a fire.
“I could make love to you all night.”
“I’m good with that, but …” She trailed a hand down his torso and fondled his hardening dick. “I think I might pass out if you try to give me another orgasm.”
“I can’t have that. It’s such a shame you need a resting period between sessions. I can think of so many things I want to try.” He caught her hand before she could inflict pain on any part of his person.
She grinned and hopped up from the ground. Moonlight made her dampened skin glow. Her creamy breasts were heavy and full, nipples dark and erect. Several bite marks showed on them and his marks on her shoulder, though healed and invisible to the eye, permanently marked her as his. His scent was mixed with hers and no supernatural would ever be able to take that away. The Original’s scent that had covered her only a short time ago was gone.
“So, I might turn some heads if I show up at the palace like this,” she said, motioning to her nakedness.
“I can’t have that, either,” Aaron growled. He reached for the shirt she’d tossed to the side and handed it up to her. She slipped the black tee over her head and he grinned. It fell just to the bottom on her pert, round ass.
“You can still see my butt, can’t you?” She grinned and shimmied her hips.
His inner leopard couldn’t resist. He leapt to his feet and pushed her down over the hood of the sedan. He caught the hem of
the shirt and tugged it back over her head and tossed it to the side. Then he ran his hands down her sides and lifted her lower half, making her strain onto her tiptoes.
“I’m the only one who’s going to enjoy such a perfect view of your ass, love. No other man will ever have that pleasure.”
“What about—”
“Shhh.” He dug his fingers into her hips, loving the moan it elicited from her. Then he thrust balls deep into her slick sex. He waited a moment, giving her time to adjust to the deeper angle and then began to move. First slowly. Then faster and harder.
Her palms slid back and forth along the hood of the car with each thrust. Mewls of pleasure poured from her mouth, turning quickly to moans and panting breaths. When her body began to clamp down harder on his dick, he slid one hand to the front of her abdomen and found her very swollen clit.
She writhed in his hands and he tightened his grip on her one hip and pressed harder with his other on her clit. Her magick gave her a great deal of power when she chose to direct it, but without focusing on it, she was just a very athletic, petite woman who only weighed about a buck twenty. Yeah, no chance she was escaping this last orgasm.
“A-a-ron,” she gasped. “Nooo-ahhhh!” Her protests morphed into a glorious scream of release. Her pussy pulsated around his dick, sending him over the edge. One more thrust for good measure and he joined her in a shout of ecstasy.
He grabbed his tee shirt from the ground and used it to clean up them both. She lay limp on the hood of the car, panting.
“Now, what … am … I going to … wear?” she managed between huge gulps for air.
“You’re going to shift into your fur coat,” he answered, walking off to retrieve his jeans from the ground a few feet away. He pulled them on and looked back at the car.
A beautiful gray wolf with black markings along her back sat by the passenger door. Her tongue lolled out and a wide grin split her muzzle.
“So, do you want to hang your head out the window?”
She snapped her jaws shut and one side of her lip curled as a growl rumbled from her throat.
He laughed, holding up his hand in surrender. “Too far?”
A low-pitched woof answered his question.
The ride back to the palace was quiet. He could still feel her emotions even though she was in wolf form, and she was still riding a high from their lovemaking.
As they rounded the last curve of the Antipas driveway, lights cut a bright swath through the darkness of the countryside. Several men stood at the doors, but for the most part, the palace was quiet. Only a few windows glowed with light.
He pulled the car to a stop near the main doors and held his door open for Nicole to come through. She hopped lightly onto the gravel drive and walked beside him to the doors.
The men at the doors were unfamiliar wolves, probably men from the cages he’d never met.
“Who are you? I thought all had returned from the arena already.”
“Aaron Katsaros and Nicole Demakis,” Aaron answered. “We took the scenic route.”
The guard smiled and nodded. “Of course you did.”
The second man opened the large door and waved them in.
Aaron walked through the doors, surprised to find the lights still bright and dozens of people milling about the halls. Chatter and laughter filled the space. Not something he’d ever heard in the Antipas palace.
Nicole padded softly beside him glancing from one person to another. A soft woof was his only warning before she raced down the hall and nearly jumped into Kate’s arms.
Kate laughed and rubbed Nicole’s head between her ears. She was telling her how glad she was to see her when Aaron reached their side.
“You made it back,” Kate stated, giving him a quick wink. “I thought I might not see either of you until the sun’s rays woke you from your love-drunk sleep.”
“The thought crossed my mind,” he answered.
“I see she managed to lose her clothes.”
Nicole barked again and wagged her tail, apparently not at all embarrassed that her friend knew she was naked because he’d shredded her dress. Shouldn’t have surprised him. She probably would’ve walked in completely naked if he hadn’t requested her in a fur coat. Well … maybe not in front of all these strangers.
“It was unsalvageable.” A grin tugged at the corners of his lips.
“I’m sure it was,” Kate said, scratching Nicole’s head again. “Naughty girl. Did you find yourself a man who can handle you?”
A resounding woof echoed through the hall.
“You two find an empty room for the night. Lee and Jason will be flying back to New York with both of you in the morning.”
Nicole cocked her head to the side and whined.
“Everyone is fine, dear, I promise. All your sisters are in New York eagerly awaiting your arrival. Lee will explain everything.”
“Thank you, Kate. I can’t begin to know how to repay you and the others for everything you’ve done.”
“I’m just glad we were in time,” she replied. “Oh, your sister is sleeping now, but she will of course be on the plane with you, Aaron. Please be outside and ready at eight.”
He nodded. Everyone in this place needed a good night’s sleep, including him and his mate. Unless someone had the code to his quarters, his bed should still be empty. He and Nicole had a few hours to grab some sleep before they left this prison for good.
***
The plane engines whirred to life and the cabin shuddered.
They’d been driven from the palace to the airport early and boarded a private jet. Nicole sat in the chair next to Aaron. Sasha sat directly across and Lee sat next to her. Jason sat on the other side of the plane, separate from the rest of them.
“So, Nicole, tell me about your family,” his sister chirped.
“I have one older sister, Sam. And two younger, Tess and Hallie. The younger ones are twins. Sam found her mate last Christmas and they live in Las Vegas, where I grew up. Most of the pack is still there. Although quite a few travel back and forth between a newer pack base in Logan and home. Woodhaven is beautiful. You’ll like it.”
“We are going to New York, though. What’s in New York?”
“My mother,” Nicole sighed.
Before Sasha arrived that morning, Lee had privately explained to Nicole and Aaron the circumstances surrounding the capture of Nicole’s mother.
“Oh, that’s so nice. I’m sure she’s been worried sick.”
Aaron started to speak, but Nicole touched his hand.
“She’s dying. We are all meeting there to say goodbye.”
Nicole’s comment surprised him, but it was a good cover. His sister’s demeanor changed instantly. “I’m so sorry. At least you’ll be able to see her again.”
“I hope so.” Nicole’s voice wavered, a mixture of sorrow and hope flooded their mate bond. He knew there was a good chance what Lee was going to do wouldn’t work and so did she. There was a possibility her mother was gone for good.
He wrapped his hand around hers and squeezed. “You need the closure, love. One way or another.”
She met his gaze for a moment before resting her head against his shoulder. The pain in her blue eyes tore at his very soul.
He knew her mother had attacked Samantha several times, nearly killing her right after her mating ceremony. She’d also shared that Renata had succeeded in killing many of the pack males, including her father. If not for the warning the pack was able to send Melinda, there would’ve been even more deaths.
Instead, there would only be one.
Renata’s.
Aaron had lost both his parents in a territory war with another pride, and he and his sister were offered to the Antipas family as a bribe to keep the wolves out of leopard affairs in the area.
It worked for a while, but ultimately backfired on the conquering pride. It wasn’t but a few years later when those damn wolves came looking for more servants. The royal magick they wielded w
as too strong and they wiped out everyone who wouldn’t surrender and serve in their private army, cheating him of any revenge he’d hoped to exact on his parents’ murderers.
Nicole facing her father’s murderer should give her and her sisters some closure, but not when the villain was their mother’s animal soul.
Only royal wolves would create situations that hurt them and those around them. Everything was about politics and power.
“Look where it got them. Most of them are dead and their children are no longer wolves.”
The Originals are still alive. One of them is sitting three feet away. They can just have more children.
“Perhaps,” his leopard answered. “But they forced the Originals out of hiding. They’ve been gone a long time. I don’t think they’ll just up and start having families again.”
Maybe not, but it’s not like the feline races are much better. We fight and kill each other too … like animals. The bears, however, have learned how to exist without bothering a single soul. It was interesting observing the O’Hearn family. They just go about their business like average humans, for the most part.
“That’s bullshit and you know it. They get their kicks serving in military squadrons. Haven’t you heard of special forces?” His leopard laughed. “We both know what ‘special’ really means.”
Aaron smiled. He definitely didn’t want to be on the receiving end of any bear paw. They were giants as men and near impossible to fight as beasts. Still, even though they were vicious killers, they managed not to be constantly fighting among themselves.
“The wolf packs in America are much different than here at home. These wolves function as multi-family groups. You saw them fight to protect each other when you attacked them.”
I know. We’ll see how they react when they realize she’s mated to me. It may not be the warm welcome she expects.
“What are you talking about up there,” Sasha asked, tapping her temple and giving him a quizzical look. “You know you were never good at keeping your face clear during a conversation with your leopard.”
A chuckle shook his chest and Nicole stirred against his side.
Taking Nicole (Vegas Mates Series)(#4) Page 12