by Kasey Belle
“Wait,” she breathed out and pushed against his chest.
Matt pulled back and looked down at his mate. “Why? I don’t want to.” Yes. Yes, he was pouting. “I’ve already waited forever.”
“It’s been a week.” Callie laughed.
“What’s your point?”
She grinned knowingly. “Right. Before we claim each other, my cat needs to meet you and learn your scent.”
“Is that some strange feline thing?”
“Yes.”
“Fine.” He grasped her hand and tugged her into the living room. Matt let go of her hand and plopped down onto the sofa. He waved his hand like a king directing his subject from the throne. “Shift away.”
Callie rolled her eyes and called him a dumbass making him laugh.
Nudity wasn’t a big deal to shifters. You had to get naked in order to turn or you’d ruin your clothes. Even small species like foxes and cats. According to Nikki, their animal sides had no patience when it came to being tangled in clothing and had no problem slicing through fabric with a well-placed claw.
Callie kicked off her ankle boots then pulled off her socks tossing them to the floor. She tugged the sweater she was wearing off over her head. The pretty pink lace bra she wore underneath made his mouth water. She unsnapped her jeans and tugged on the zipper before shimmying out of them. The way she moved her hips made certain parts of her jiggle which in turn made a certain part of him hard as steel. Damn. Her pretty panties matched her bra. Then her pretty lingerie was gone, and she stood gloriously naked in front of him. He sent up a big ole thank you to the universe because dayum!
Matt fought to maintain his dignity and control when all he wanted to do was pounce on her like a rutting beast. Outwardly he remained calm. Inwardly? That was another matter. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t doing an excellent impression of a Tex Avery’s Wolf in his head. Complete with bulging eyes, salivating tongue, and cliché wolf whistle. He was one horny wolf.
A golden glow surround Callie as she began her shift. Less than a minute later a fluffy cat had replaced his mate. He’d never seen anyone shift so fast. Yet another thing that made Calypso Caldwell amazing.
She was beautiful in cat form. Larger than the average Maine Coon, Callie was probably close to 30 pounds. She had a muscular well-developed body and robust, strong legs. Her head was a little longer than it was wide with a square muzzle and firm chin. The cat’s ears were set high and apart. They were large, wider at the base before tapering into pointed tips. She had large, round, gold eyes. Her medium length mackerel tabby coat with white markings was shiny and looked soft. Callie’s wonderfully bushy tail was as long as her body and stuck straight up in the air.
“You are gorgeous, Callie.”
She climbed onto his lap and placed her paws on his shoulders. He ran his hand down her back to the tip of her tail. The most adorable purr rumbled through her like a little motor. She butted his chin with her head then rubbed her cheeks against his, marking him. Matt buried his fingers in the fur behind her ears before touching his forehead to hers. “Mine,” growled.
Callie’s rough tongue licked his chin in response. The sensation was weird but wonderful.
One second, he held a cat and next he had an armful of gloriously naked woman. She shot him a sly grin. “You gonna claim me or what, wolf?”
He flipped Callie to her back before she could blink. The great thing about living alone was he didn’t have to leave the sofa to make her his. No need to waste time getting to the bedroom. “I promise I’ll give you a tour of the house later.”
“Whatever.” She tugged at the hem of his t-shirt. “Get naked.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Yes, ma’am. Your wish is my command, kitten.”
“No,” she scolded.
He reared back and looked at her confused as to what had brought on the change in attitude.
“I get it. I’m a cat. But… Do not call me kitten. It’s creepy. I’m a grown woman not a child.”
Matt snorted a laugh. “Sorry. Um what about… snookums? No. Muffin? No. Babykins?”
She lightly punched him in the side. “Can we discuss pet names later? We’re kind of in the middle of something. At least we were.”
“Right. I think I was about to get nekkid and officially make you Calypso Caldwell Stone.”
“Calypso Thalia Stone. I’d prefer to drop the Caldwell if you don’t mind?”
“As long as Stone is in there somewhere, I’m good.” Matt wagged his eyebrows. It only took minutes to divest himself of his clothing. Of course, rushing it added a little comic relief for his mate when he forgot to remove his boots before he took off jeans. He got tangled in the denim and nearly face planted making her roll with laughter.
He kneeled between her supple thighs. He wrapped a hand around her foot and raised her leg. He placed a kiss on the inside of her ankle and worked his way to her knee. She moaned and mewled. He loved the sounds coming from her. He stopped mid-thigh then gave her other leg the same attention relished the feel of her soft skin and sweet taste on his lips and tongue.
“I swear to god if you don’t stop with the foreplay, my cat is going to take over and claw your eyes out,” she hissed like an angry spitting kitten. It was all kinds of adorable. Not that he planned to mention it with his nether region exposed and vulnerable. “If your ego needs the boost, you can make it up to me later. Claim. Me. Now.”
Matt snickered and dropped her leg. “Bossy.” He fell forward. She cradled him against her body. His erection made contact with her moist heat and he groaned.
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” she replied saucily.
“Good.” He nipped her bottom lip. “I look forward to it.” He flexed his hips sliding his dick between her slick lips making sure to grind against her distended clit. Oh yeah, she was ready for him. Matt’s gaze never wavered from hers. Her beautiful eyes grew heavy with lust and her lips parted slightly. He pulled back a little and grabbed his cock placing the head at her opening. “I’m going to claim you now, Calypso Caldwell.”
“Not if I claim you first.” Callie’s voice was seductive and sexy. She lifted her hips and took him inside her.
Matt intended to give her moment to adjust to the intrusion, but his bossy mate was having none of that. She sunk her claws into his ass and ordered him to fuck her. With just a few words his Callie had him teetering on the edge of no return. He loved how open and honest she was. There was nothing sexier. She didn’t shy away from how much she wanted him. He had no problem doing her bidding. In fact, he eagerly complied.
Callie ran her hands over his chest tracing his hard muscles with her palms and playing with his nipples. Damn, that was nice. He brushed his lips over hers then kissed her. He pushed his tongue between her parted lips, swallowing her moan as he started to move. She met him thrust for thrust. Matt wrapped his arms underneath her cupping her shoulders. Callie dug her fingers into his should blades. He grinned against her mouth happy she was marking him with more than a claiming bite. He’d wear them proudly until they healed then he’d demand she mark him again.
Her inner muscles clenched and ripped along his dick. His spine tingled indicating his impending orgasm. He vowed to make their quickie sex up to her. Then again, she was the one who demanded he fucking claim her so the fact it was fast and dirty really was her fault.
Matt placed his mouth on her tender flesh as his canine’s elongated and his wolf took over to bite and claim their mate. “Claim me, mate,” he mumbled against her before taking his claim.
He felt a sharp piercing pain on his neck and it hurtled him head long into ecstasy. His cries mingled with Callie’s as they came together in more ways than one. Her body shuddered, and muscles tensed as she milked every last drop from his body. Matt held her tight and rolled over flipping their positions. Thanking the universe for his agility or he would have dumped them on the floor. Her tiny body draped over his and he reached for the blanket on the back of the sofa and c
overed their cooling bodies. Neither of them attempted to move content to hold each other and bask in the afterglow.
Matt had witnessed plenty of mated pairings in his lifetime, but he could never fully grasp how perfect this moment would be. Becoming one in body and spirit with your mate was something you had to experience for yourself in order to realize how truly blessed you were to have found the other half of your soul. Until this moment, he had only understood it in the abstract. He felt complete for the first time in his life.
Now that he’d claimed his Calypso, Matt fully understood why his pack and most shifters held matings sacred. Matt vowed when he became alpha, hopefully many years from now, he would make sure his people never strayed from that belief.
Chapter 17
Callie woke in a strange bed in a room that didn’t seem familiar at all. Her first thought was “What did I do last night?” but as her sleep addled brain cleared, she remembered. She’d claimed her mate, and it had been fantastic.
Matthew Stone. Sigh.
Callie glanced over at the empty space beside her and ran her hand over the sheet. Still warm. He must have left the bed not long ago. She snagged his pillow and held it to her face. She moaned as she inhaled his scent lingering on the cotton pillow case. Suddenly, a slight weight landed on the end of the bed. She looked down to see a beautiful grey British Shorthair with copper eyes. Around its neck was a pink leather collar embellished with pink crystals. A heart-shaped ID tag hung from the d-ring under the cat’s chin. “You must be Lily.”
The cat meowed a greeting and walked toward her. The bed comforter depressing under her paws with each step. Lily walked up Callie’s body and sat on her chest. Callie scratched behind the cat’s ears. Her rumbling purr made Callie smile. “You’re a sweetie. Where’s Matt? Have you seen your daddy? Huh?”
Lily’s body stilled. She stared at Callie, blinked, and flicked her ears. Callie pulled her hand back and waited. Since she was unfamiliar with the cat’s moods it was better to be safe than sorry. Callie’s cat wouldn’t respond well to an attack from their feline cousin. Lily huffed and moved off her. If Callie didn’t know any better she’d swear Lily gave her a bit of shade before she abruptly leaped off the bed to the floor.
Callie found Matt in the kitchen. He was wearing a pair of soft grey lounge pants that rode low on his hips and draped perfectly over his exquisite ass. He glanced over his shoulder after he poured grinds into the coffee filter. “Morning, goddess.”
“Oh, I like that.” She sauntered over to her mate and gave him a proper good morning kiss.
“I figured you were named after goddesses, so when in Greece…” He let the rest of his play on an old saying drop off with a smirk.
“Just so we’re clear. While I love my new endearment, I won’t be referring to you as god, in return.”
Matt poked out his lower lip. “But…”
“No.”
He gave a resigned sigh and said, “fine.” She didn’t miss the mirth dancing in his blue eyes. “And just so we’re clear, whatever pet name you decide on for me, in my head it will always sound like god.”
“If I said you’re an ass.”
“I heard you loud and clear. I am a god.”
“When will the coffee be ready? I have a feeling I’ll need loads of caffeine with you around.” She leaned against the counter. “I met your cat. Is she pissed at you or something?”
Matt made a grumpy noise.
“What?”
“She brought me a mangled mouse. Lily knows how I feel about her gifts. She got pissed when I tossed it over the back fence and yelled at her.”
“Well, that was mean.”
“I get it. She loves me and wants to bestow her thanks upon me for all the awesome cat food and toys I buy her, but gross.”
Callie snorted a laugh. “She does love you. It’s not entirely what you think. She’s looking out for you.”
“Excuse me?”
“There is no delicate way to put this. So… I’m just going to say it. Lily thinks you’re too stupid to hunt for yourself. She’s being the mom and trying to teach you and feed you at the same time.”
“You’re making that up.”
Callie shook her head. She was exaggerating, yes. Lying, no. “Lily knows you’d never catch that delicious mouse on your own.”
“Oh, well. I can see why she’s pissed. That’s kind of sweet in it’s own fucked up way. It’s still gross.” He dropped a peck on her lips before retrieving a couple of mugs then the creamer from the refrigerator. “What’s on our agenda for today?”
She ticked off the list of things they needed to accomplish. “We need to go talk to children before we do anything. If they like our idea, we need to call Kevin to let him know there’s been a change in plans. I need to submit my letter of resignation, but I can do that tonight once we return home.”
“Home,” Matt whispered as he drew her into his arms. “I like hearing that word on your lips.” He kissed her showing her how much until they needed to breathe. Matt’s phone pinged. He picked it up off the counter and checked it. “It’s a text from Dad. He asked if he and my grandparents could stop.”
“Um?” Callie looked down at herself. She was wearing a t-shirt of Matt’s and nothing else.
“Just throw on the clothes you wore last night. They’ll know what we were up to, regardless.” He ran a finger over her mating mark.
“Okay. Give me half an hour to wash off the sex. I think I have an emergency make-up kit in my purse. It was there last time I checked, anyway.” She pushed out of his arms.
“You don’t need to go to all that trouble. You’re perfect. With or without make-up.”
Was he insane?
“No, he’s a guy. They don’t need to do much more than shower and call it good.”
“Ugh! I bet he doesn’t even own a blow dryer.”
“We have to figure out something to do with our hair. It’s kind of crazy right now.”
“Are you two finished?”
“No. I still need to curse your maleness a few more minutes while I try and figure out what to do with my hair.”
“Goddess. Stop. They’re my family.”
“I’m meeting your pack’s Alpha and Alpha Mate. First impressions are everything.”
He shook his head and wrapped his arms around her. “You’re meeting my grandparents. Two of the kindest people I’ve ever known. They won’t care if you’re wearing ratty sweats or a five-thousand-dollar gown. They would treat you the same either way. My pack is polar opposites from your family and old clowder. If you need to do these things to feel comfortable, that’s fine, do it for you. But know, you don’t need to do it for them.”
Callie took a breath. He was right. She still planned to look presentable because it was something she needed to do. Callie never went anywhere without styled hair, make-up, and sexy lingerie. It was like her own personal set of beautiful armor. “Half-an-hour.” She brushed her hair back. “Make that forty-five minutes.” She leaned up and kissed his chin. “Don’t join me in the shower either or we’ll be greeting your family wet and naked.”
“I like wet and naked.” Matt growled. The sexy noise had her almost rethinking her edict. Matt must have noticed her mental waffling because his lips slowly slid into a sexy grin. “Oh, I like where your mind is heading, goddess. It’s okay.” He took a step in her direction. “Give in.”
She shook her head and took a step back. She held out her hand to ward off Matt’s advances. “Stay where you are.”
He cocked his head. “I don’t think that’s what you really want.”
Not when he was looking at her like that is wasn’t. What to do? What to do? Oh, fuck it. Callie jabbed her finger at him. “I will not meet the alpha and his mate looking like something the wolf dragged in. You have five minutes.”
“To get us both off?” Matt licked his lips. His eyes gave her body a long, slow perusal. “Challenge accepted.”
She couldn’t help the giggle tha
t escaped before she took off running down the hallway. He caught up to her and slung her much smaller body over his shoulder. Matt carried her to the master bathroom where he successfully mastered the challenge with a mind blowing round of shower wall sex.
Chapter 18
Thorne and Margaret Stone were just as wonderful as Matt made them out to be. Like his son Stephan, Thorne was demonstrative in his love for his family. He treated Callie as if she’d always been a part of Matt’s life and their pack. Margaret―call me Maggie or Grandma, was a strong and vibrant woman. Callie could tell by her attitude that the woman didn’t take shit from anyone. She figured the two women didn’t really have much of choice considering the men they were married to. Alphas had to be strong, stubborn, compassionate, and, when situations called for it, lethal. Their mates had to possess the same qualities along with the ability to temper their alpha’s mood.
Callie had mad respect for Matt’s mother and grandmother. She could learn a lot from Maggie and Deirdre Stone. Callie would one day hold the position of alpha mate when Matt became pack alpha. After observing the woman and how they deftly handled their mates, one thing was certain. Callie wanted to be just like them when she grew up.
Matt’s family didn’t stay long, only about an hour. As she and Matt walked them to the door and said their goodbyes, Thorne gave her a strong, fatherly hug. “Welcome to our family, Callie. I want to say congratulations, but I feel good luck is more appropriate.”
She reared back so she could see his face. The same teasing light she’d witnessed many times in Matt’s eyes was present in his. “Oh, and why is that?”
“Our Matthew is what we refer to as a handful. A human shaped ball of mischief if you will. He needs someone to keep him out of trouble.”
“Hey!” Matt feigned indignation. “Don’t poison my mate with your lies, old man.”
“Hush,” Callie scolded her mate. “The grown-ups are talking.”
Thorne barked a laugh and looked over at his mate. “Oh Maggie, love. I do believe our Calypso is perfect for our grandson.”