by Avery Gale
“No, it will be important for every member of your family to stay close to their mates.” Bronx understood what Audric hadn’t bothered to explain—mates could protect one another better than anyone else could. “I’m not discounting the safety concerns you have for Kenya, quite the opposite actually. Having her with you serves multiple purposes.”
“Excuse me, could you please stop talking about me as if I wasn’t here? I’ve been making my own decisions for a long time, and I’m perfectly capable of making this one.” Bronx looked at the other two men and saw the same apology and respect he felt was also shining in their eyes. “The way I see it, there are several issues with Mr. Stafford’s plan, but the most significant is that Bronx and I haven’t… well, we haven’t nailed down all the details of this mating thing.”
Nailed down?
Damn, brother—you’re slacking in your old age.
Fuck you. Hell, now he was waging a telepathic battle of junior high level wits with his younger brother like they were kids instead of grown men. Bronx nearly groaned out loud when he glanced over to see Audric Stafford fight back his smile. No magical wanted to look immature in front of the most powerful wizard in the world—and it was even more humbling since his granddaughter was now a part of their family.
Before Bronx could assure Audric he and his mate would be having a meaningful discussion about mating, the wizard pulled a phone from his pocket and excused himself to take a call. Reaching into his pocket, Bronx pressed the button on the small remote and smiled when Kenya let out a small squeak. No doubt she’d forgotten about the tiny bullet vibrator nestled deep in her core. Activating it now was more a statement than play. Bronx wanted her to remember who she belonged to—at this point, claiming her was more of a formality than anything else.
“I’ll leave the two of you to work this out. Bristol will be ready to leave the hospital soon, and I want to be there to escort her home.” Pulling Kenya into a quick hug before setting her back and grinning down at her. “Behave, or you’re going to find yourself draped over Bronx’s knees, and I’m sure he’d much rather introduce you to the joys of erotic spanking rather than a punishment paddling.” Bronx watched Kenya’s eyes widen before her cheeks flamed with embarrassment.
Once they were alone, Bronx sat down on one of the padded chairs before pulling her onto his lap. Turning Kenya so he could see her face, Bronx wrapped his hand around her wrist, smoothing the pad of his thumb over her pulse until their heartbeats synchronized.
“How do you do that?” He wasn’t going to insult her intelligence by pretending he didn’t understand the question.
“We are fated mates, Cheŕ. The Universe takes care of its own, and a large part of that is making certain we’re compatible. The synchronization of our heartbeats is a significant part of the mating process and confirms what I knew from the moment your scent surrounded me. It’s calming—giving both us a sense of peace when we’re close. The deep comfort we both feel when our hearts beat as one is important for bonding. In the future, we’ll be in synch even when we’re apart. If the synchronization is disrupted, the other mate will recognize it immediately. Consider it a sort of built-in alarm system.” As a blood born shifter, he’d be able to track his mate anywhere in the world by scent alone.
I don’t deserve this. I was going to steal something his mother gave him for stars’ sake. If I stall, he’ll come to his senses and bolt… taking the damned amulet with him, and it’s no more than I deserve.
Loneliness and despair surrounded him, the thick waves of emotion, making Bronx feel like he was being sucked into a dark vortex. He didn’t need to ask Kenya where she’d gotten the mistaken impression, she wasn’t worthy of being loved. There’d been hints in everything she’d said about her mother.
“There are some things you need to know about mates. I’ve mentioned some of them, but those points bear repeating. Fate never makes a mistake, and we’ve been mated for a reason. Mates are attracted to each other physically, even if they aren’t like anyone you’ve ever been attracted to in the past. Some shifters wait decades to find their mates, and fate always finds a way to ensure their paths cross.”
“Letting someone bite me is damned scary.”
Bronx appreciated her honesty and was more than a little relieved to find out this was her biggest concern because he’d make certain she was so distracted, it didn’t occur to her to be scared.
“I promise to make this one of the most spectacular experiences of your life. I want it to be a sweet memory you carry with you forever. This is on me, I’ve let you worry about this far too long. Let’s go.” He should have claimed her in the shower when he first took her home.
Tell Audric we’ll be ready to travel tomorrow. The two of you work out the details and text me.
Already set up—you’re predictable, big brother.
As much as Bronx loved his brothers and sisters, there were times when they were a real pain in the ass.
Kenya appeared to be lost in thought as Bronx drove through the gates and down the long drive toward his house. He only lived a few minutes from the club, but they’d been stopped so many times before they could make their escape, the trip seemed much longer than it actually was.
“What’s more frightening, being mated or traveling back in time?” When she didn’t answer right away, Bronx wondered if she was considering the two options he’d given her or if there was something else on her mind. The word deserve floated through his mind again as he parked in the garage. When he placed his hand over hers, Kenya seemed startled to realize he’d already turned off the engine.
“Talk to me, Kenya. We are mates. No one in the entire world will ever care more about your hopes, dreams, and fears than I do. I want to be the first person you think about sharing good news with as well as the one you run to when you need a shoulder to cry on.” The garage lights were slowly dimming, but he didn’t miss the single tear trailing down her perfect cheek, its silvery trail glistening in the fading light.
“I’m afraid to be happy.”
Was she serious? The answer seemed so odd, at first, he wanted to outright discount it—but he’d learned people rarely lie when they are admitting a personal failing, which meant she’d probably reveal something deeper if he was willing to listen. The moment would be lost if he moved her into the house, so he stayed still and waited. “It’s probably more accurate to say, I’m afraid to let down my guard and enjoy the moment. Every time I’ve let myself relax, I’ve been blindsided.”
“Give me an example, so I’m sure I understand what you’re saying.”
“The apartment I was living in was perfect. It was cheap, close to the campus where I was taking a class, and also close to the small coffee shop where I found a part-time job.” She took a deep breath and seemed to sink deeper into the supple leather seat. “It was also close to the dealership where I knew you spent most of your time. I needed to be able to watch you, learn your habits.” She finally met his gaze, regret easy to see, but it was the start pain of loneliness that made his heart clench.
“Guilt erodes the soul, Cheŕ. If I’m not holding it against you, I don’t think you should either. Your mother convinced you the other half of a totem held the answers to your prayers—all you had to do was find it. Let me ask you this—why did you stall for so long? What changed?” He knew her soul had recognized him as her mate. What he needed was for her to see it for herself.
“My landlord wanted to… barter my rent. When I refused, he evicted me to give the place to a woman he was already seeing on the side.” Bronx suspected her previous address was in the report Israel put together—he’d make certain the man paid for what he’d done to Kenya. “Before you point out that he can’t legally evict me if I was paying rent, save it. We all know how easy it is to get around those rules.” She was right, there were enough loopholes in most rental agreements for an elephant to waltz through.
“You’re stalling, mate. Tell me what made you put off trying to steal my am
ulet.”
“I liked you.” The words came out in a rush, and he knew the hurried admission surprised her. “I saw how nice you were to people, and as crazy as it seems, I could tell you suspected someone was breaking in. I could feel your awareness. Why didn’t you call the police?”
Aww, his mate was no one’s fool. Good.
“There was something about the residual ripples of your energy—something in those lingering vibrations I recognized. I knew we hadn’t met, but there was something… something I couldn’t identify.” He’d suspected the little intruder was his mate, but until he’d scented her in the alley, there wasn’t a way to be sure. She watched him for long seconds before giving him a small smile.
“Touché.”
Chapter Ten
I’m going to burst into flames if he doesn’t get on with it. She and Bronx shared a shower, which gave new meaning to the word steamy, before tumbling into his enormous bed. He moved to the foot of the bed, grasped her ankles, and spread her legs wide. Staring at her exposed pussy, Bronx didn’t make any attempt to hide his appreciation.
“Fucking beautiful. I love looking at your pretty pink pussy lips. Seeing them flowering open as blood rushes into the tender tissues makes it easy to see why the ancients compared a woman’s sex to a rose.” He trailed the tips of his fingers through her wet labia, and Kenya felt another rush of her slick arousal pulse from her core. Her cheeks flushed with heat, and she knew her face was glowing bright enough to light the room—not that she’d know since she’d closed her eyes and groaned in embarrassment.
“Don’t hide from me, mate. I want to look into your eyes while I play with you. Don’t be embarrassed by your body’s reaction to me. Hell, your sweet cream is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. I’m thrilled you respond so perfectly to my touch. Your body recognizes your mate even if your head is still trying to make sense of it all.”
Goddess in heaven, Kenya wanted him to take her. She knew patience was the name of the game in foreplay, but suddenly it seemed to her, the concept was vastly overrated.
“Are you going to wax poetic all night about my pussy or fuck me?” Holy shit! Had she really said that out loud? She watched his brows raise as surprise moved over his face. Hell, astonishment was a better description. Before she could apologize, he threw his head back and laughed.
“I don’t ever want to compare you to any other woman because you are unique in so many ways. You are my mate, the only woman I’ll be intimate with from this point forward, but I have to say, I don’t ever remember a woman making me laugh while we were in bed. Ordinarily, your outburst would earn you at least ten, Cheŕ, but we need to have a chat about safe words and limits first. Tonight is different. I want you as much as you seem to want to be taken. I assure you I’ll give you everything you need, but we’re going at my pace.”
Kenya felt the deep blush of embarrassment fading and hoped he realized how much she wanted him. She wondered what was most attractive—the way he spoke to her, his heavy-lidded look of desire, or his model good looks. Everything about the man was hot.
Leaning forward, Bronx used the rolled tip of his tongue to lick the wet folds of her sex and groaned. “Your taste ignites a fire in my soul, my lovely mate. I want to spend hours lapping up every sweet drop of your honey. I’d love nothing more than to spend days on end, sending you sailing into the blissful oblivion of sexual release, your mind so fractured by the pleasure, you’ll forget your own name.” Tracing the engorged petals of her pussy, Bronx placed his large hands atop her thighs, holding her in place when tried to arch off the bed in response to his touch.
“Stay still, or I’ll tie you to the bed.” Kenya’s body responded before her mind could process whether the words were a threat or promise. Why did the thought of being tied down, unable to do anything but endure every erotic pleasure he was willing to give her, make Kenya’s body feel like it was catching fire? The man was lethal, and by some twist of fate, he was hers.
“Yes, Cheŕ, I belong to you, just as you belong to me. Now, let’s see if I can still that busy mind of yours.”
There wasn’t time for her mind to question how he’d known what she’d been thinking before Bronx sent her spiraling into a vortex of pleasure where nothing existed outside the heat of her body’s response. Color burst all around her, and Kenya heard a woman scream. It took several seconds for her to become cognizant enough to notice he’d turned her over and was helping her to her hands and knees.
When the flaming heat of Bronx’s chest pressed against her back, Kenya’s arms threatened to fold out from under her. He slid his muscled arm around her, securing her smaller body against his much larger one. The sensation was as comforting as it was arousing. Goddess above, Kenya was turning into a damned poetic sap, and she couldn’t find the strength to care. All she cared about was getting him inside her. Instinct trumped reason, and Kenya felt her body ready itself for his possession.
“You’re testing me, mate. Stretching my control past any reasonable expectation.” His hand slid slowly over her flat stomach until the tips of his fingers skimmed her clit. “Perfect, your pretty little pearl has come out to play, baby. We’ll do slow and easy next time. I want you too much to do anything but fast and hard this round.” She felt the blazing tip of his cock teasing her entrance and tried to thrust back to force his possession, but he wasn’t having it. “No, Cheŕ. Stay still. You are so tight. Hell, I’m not even inside, and I can feel you closing around the tip of my cock. I don’t want to bruise or tear any of those tender tissues.”
“Please, I’m going to die if you don’t get inside.” She could hear the desperation in her voice, and it wasn’t surprising since that’s exactly what she felt. In a flash of insight, Kenya saw a paw, a huge black paw clawing at what appeared to be a thin shell. The animal was larger than any dog she’d ever seen if its wide foot was anything to go by. Every cell in her body felt electrified as her body thundered toward release, and the animal she finally recognized as a wolf became clearer in her mind’s eye.
“You are so much more than I deserve and miles above what I dared to hope for, Cheŕ.” He used one arm to hold himself over her, his hips pressing slowly, pushing the thick shaft of his cock forward. Slowly, that was the damned keyword. She was going insane, waiting for him to take her, claim her, set the animal inside him free.
Gasping at the sudden realization there was a wolf inside her as well turned her world upside down. She could see the lighter colored paws clawing to be set free but instinctively knew she wasn’t ready for that yet. How had she not known? Her body was trembling, bombarded by sensations so intense, Kenya wondered if she’d survive. Bronx’s warm breath wafted over her shoulder, and his chest was so tight against her back, she could feel his heartbeat pounding against her spine.
Bronx withdrew from her heat, leaving the rippling muscles lining her vagina clenching at the sudden emptiness she felt all the way to her soul. He’d withdrawn until only the head of his cock remained inside, and the anticipation of the first hard thrust was almost more than she could bear. She felt his tongue glide along the top of her shoulder, lapping at the tender spot where it sloped up—close enough to her neck, Kenya knew he could feel her pulse thundering just beneath the skin.
“Tell me you want to be mine, Kenya. Tell me to claim you, to set the wolf inside you free.” She should have known he’d have seen her animal just as she had. There would never be any secrets between them.
“Please. Yes. Yours.” Three words gasped in a voice fractured by a need so intense, it defied description, but it was enough.
His hips thrust forward with enough force, his balls bounced against her clit, and the combination launched her over the edge. Lights exploded behind her eyelids as she tumbled headfirst into a swirling tornado of color. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Kenya felt a stinging bite a split second before her blood felt as if it was boiling in her veins, every nerve ending in her body vibrating. The residual power from the blast of electricity f
ollowing his bite was disconcerting.
Her entire being felt as though it was being tossed end over end, floundering in a turbulent sea of sexual pleasure greater than anything she’d ever imagine possible. Blinking, Kenya was shocked to realize she was on her side. Bronx laid curled around her, his arm holding her against his chest. When he spoke, his voice was so loud in her ear, Kenya gasped. His fingers gently pulled her hearing aids from her ears.
“Sorry, Cheŕ, I forgot to warn you, you won’t need these anymore. You’ll find all of your senses are greatly enhanced now that we’ve mated and your inner wolf brought out of hiding. It will be a while before you are ready to shift, so don’t force it.”
Bronx was leveled. His muscles trembled from exertion and the sudden influx of his mate’s DNA coursing through his system. The physical changes wouldn’t be as great for him since he’d already been shifting for years. It shocked him to learn Kenya had an inner wolf. He knew when she’d seen his, then he’d seen the same vision of hers just a few seconds before his fangs punctured the tender skin at the junction of her neck and shoulder.
The fresh scent of her warm, moist skin had been too much to resist. Damn, he was glad she’d agreed to be his because he wasn’t sure he would have been able to resist. Now he understood how Austin lost control and claimed Charlotte before she’d agreed to belong to him. He’d thought he was prepared for the intensity of mating, but it was so much more than he’d anticipated.
The heat the two of them generated was like the flash fires his dealerships occasionally experienced in their mechanic shops when torches were used too close to flammable liquids. He’d have sworn his blood was nearing the boiling point before the sensation finally began to subside. Nothing had prepared him for what he’d experienced.
“I died, didn’t I? I did. I know I did, and you’re just afraid to tell me. It should probably worry me since no angels have shown up to escort me to the pearly gates. Do shifters go to heaven? Maybe I should be hiding under the bed just in case someone from the other team shows up. Damn, it’s going to really suck if I don’t get to enjoy not wearing hearing aids any longer than this.”