Ours. All ours.
She screamed as she came, her limbs shaking, muscles quivering. The warmth in her belly spread through her torso, her pussy rippling with the intensity. He moved faster, hammering in and out of her. His fingers didn’t stop teasing her clit, the touch just enough to keep the sensations going.
He rested over her, his head dipping to her neck. “My sweet, beautiful mate.”
His teeth sank deep, causing her to whimper. She smothered the sound, not wanting him to stop. It burned like a brand, so hot she wasn’t sure she could stand it. His fingers moved harder over her clit, applying more dizzying pressure. Pain merged with pleasure, aftershocks of ecstasy trickling over her. He moved faster and faster, his cock hammering in and out of her pussy.
With a soft sigh she gave herself over, going limp beneath him. Her muscles ached, no longer able to keep up Declan’s relentless pace. He gripped her hip, keeping the movements going. His breathing changed, a growl vibrating against her skin. Then he tensed, his body going tight. She felt his cock jerk and a flood of warmth spread where they were connected. He kept moving, as though he was marking her with more than his bite.
Her nose tingled, a tantalizing fragrance drifting to her nose.
Declan.
The wolf knew his scent and because of that so did she. Then she understood he wanted to mark her skin with his teeth and coat her body with his scent. With one final thrust—one that wedged him so deeply inside of her she knew she’d be sore for days—he stopped moving. His teeth eased from her abused flesh and she hissed in pain. Immediately his tongue was there, soothing the sting.
“Let me take care of you,” he whispered, lapping at the wounds. “Just relax and rest.”
Good idea. Right then she didn’t think she could move if he asked her to.
As he lifted away and his cock slid free, she felt empty. She reached out for him, afraid to see him leave. Despite her wolf’s reassurance he wasn’t going anywhere she wasn’t so certain. He looked into her eyes, studied her for a moment and his face smoothed in understanding.
“I’m going to run you a bath,” he said, stroking her hair. “Then I’m going to make you something to eat. You’re mine now. I meant it when I said there’s no going back. You’ve given me the greatest gift imaginable. It’s only fair that I show my appreciation.”
Sweat trickled over his skin, his hair slick at his temples. Each time he touched her his muscles flexed, his tattoos shifting and stretching. For an instant she remembered how good it had felt when he’d finally entered her, how hard and thick his cock had been. She wanted that again. She wanted it more than anything. He was the most gorgeous thing she’d ever seen.
How had she possibly resisted him for so long?
She struggled to talk, suddenly shy and aware of herself. “Appreciation?”
He bent down, placing a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m going to spoil you rotten, beautiful girl. I’m going to spend the rest of my life showing you how special you are.”
Another scent came to her, reminding her of cotton. It was new and she couldn’t place it but her wolf easily did. Tears burned her eyes.
Sincerity.
“You rest,” he ordered and pulled away from her. “I’ll be back for you.”
She closed her eyes before her tears could fall, trying to keep her emotions in check. As he walked away she felt every step, the distance nearly too much. She took comfort in his scent, latching on to the smell of pine and forest. If this was how Chloe felt she could understand her best friend’s constant need for Jackson.
It was as if a part of her vanished in Declan’s absence, leaving her incomplete.
She’d only felt like this once before—right after her father had died.
The puzzle slid together, pieces falling into place. Her eyes flew open and she stared at the ceiling. It couldn’t be possible. It had happened so fast. Too fast by human standards. In mating with him, she’d given him more than her body. She’d given him her heart.
Heaven help her.
She loved him.
Chapter Nine
Declan watched Rachel from the kitchen, not wanting to intrude as she got to know the pack. After her bath he’d called Chloe and invited her over, thinking it would ease any apprehension Rachel might experience. Although the wolf in him wanted to keep Rachel by his side—greedy and eager for more of her sweet, lithe body—he’d denied the creature.
She’d done so well so far.
He wasn’t fucking things up now.
Chloe had agreed but indicated it was best to introduce Rachel to the pack right away, before any hesitation might build. The full moon was coming, granting them little time, and she felt her friend needed to be up to speed with the pack before she changed. He’d reluctantly agreed. After all, though he adored his mate, Chloe—to his regret—knew Rachel far better than he did.
For now.
“My car is a hunk of junk,” Elise—Clint’s mate—told Rachel, easing into amiable conversation. Chloe had talked about Rachel numerous times with the pack so they knew a lot about her. It made things a tad easier. “Maybe you could take a look at it.”
Rachel’s eyes quickly darted over the room before she asked quietly, “What’s wrong with it?”
He moved immediately, striding to the couch. The pack had taken his mating in stride, congratulating him and Rachel, but he’d wanted to give his female breathing room. Sadly she was nervous again, her worries overriding her newfound liberation. He rested his hand on her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. When he bathed her he’d learned she ached to be touched. Any kind of contact seemed to settle her. The muscles beneath his palm immediately relaxed and she leaned into his hand.
“It’s got a steady miss. Drives me nuts,” Elise said, shooting Declan a hateful look.
You deserve it. Think of all the times you gave Clint shit about her.
Back in the day he’d have met Elise’s venom with a smile. Now that he had mated he felt a sliver of shame. It wasn’t easy to smile at her but he tried, wanting to make things right for a change. He hadn’t intended to be a smartass all the time. He just hadn’t known how deeply his words had affected Elise on occasion. The heat in the female’s gaze faded, her scowl vanishing.
“Have you changed the sparkplugs?” Rachel asked, fidgeting as she sensed the tension in the room. Until she changed she wouldn’t understand why she reacted in certain ways. A wolf always felt emotion, using the ability to sense feelings as a weapon. “That could be the problem.”
“No, she hasn’t,” Clint interjected, placing his hand on Elise’s neck. “The car is a hunk of junk because she doesn’t care for it properly. She thinks all she has to do is feed it gas and oil and all is well.”
Clint’s eyes lifted and met Declan’s. A rush of relief swept through him. If anyone understood, it would be Clint. His mating with Elise hadn’t been entirely easy. The female had given him hell prior to their mating. Clint had always been a ladies’ man. Elise hadn’t forgiven that. Prior to dreamsharing he’d actually turned his back on his mate. She’d been too young at the time, nowhere near mature enough for him. But she’d felt an awareness that Clint hadn’t. She’d known something had been going on between them. So when the years passed, Elise neared her season and Clint finally got wise to the situation.
Elise hadn’t given in to the mating without a fight.
A knock came from the door and the room went quiet. An odd thing since there were twenty people inside the space. Rachel’s shoulders tensed again, her gaze going to Chloe. Jackson leaned down and kissed the top of his mate’s head before he walked to greet their guest. The night had gone well so far but the good mood might not last. With everything that had transpired it was important to talk to Gavin—Chloe’s father—before they made any important decisions.