He blew out a breath. “I had the best intentions in the beginning, I swear. Roxie has a set of rules she tries to impose on male werewolves who have found their mortal mates. One of them is we have to tell them what we are and what it means to be mated to us before we claim them. Unfortunately, it’s a counterproductive rule when it comes to the mating urge. Being female, Roxie doesn’t really have a clue how bad it can get. And then you booked the hotel room and I was lost, especially after you bit me on the neck.”
“Why does my biting you have anything to do with it? And you were the one who told me to do it, I might add.”
“A bite where the shoulder meets the neck during foreplay is the biggest turn-on for a male werewolf. And if the female bites hard enough to leave a mark behind, we like to proudly show it off so other females know we’re taken.” Skylar watched Braelyn’s gaze land on the exact spot on his neck he’d been talking about.
She stepped a little closer until they were toe-to-toe. “You mean like this?”
Braelyn went on tiptoe, tugged the collar of his shirt away and bit him where his shoulder and neck met, hard enough that there was no question of whether she’d marked his skin. He shuddered and wrapped his arms around her as his cock went instantly rock-hard.
“Braelyn. God, I have to be inside you.” She bit him again, and he clutched her tighter, his cock jerking inside his pants.
When she lifted her head, he took her lips in a bone-melting kiss. He poured all his need and love he had for her into it. She returned it with the same heat. With teeth and tongue, he deepened the contact. After coming so close to losing her, he needed the earthly affirmation of lovemaking to show him he hadn’t. He wanted to hear his mate’s cries of passion echoing in his ears as he took her over and over again.
Breaking the connection with his mouth, Braelyn grabbed the bottom of his shirt and yanked it up. “Naked. Now.”
With little finesse, they both managed to strip all their clothes off. Naked, they fell on her double bed in a tangle of limbs, their lips meeting once again. Braelyn pushed him on his back and then straddled his hips.
She looked down at him. “Your eyes are glowing.”
“It means I’m aroused.”
“Then I’d better do something about it.”
She reached down, took hold of his cock and held it in position as she slowly lowered herself on it. Once she’d taken him to the hilt inside her pussy, she started to ride him. Low growls of pleasure rumbled out of him as she arched her hips to take him deeper. He reached up to cover her breasts, kneading them when she put her hands on top of his.
Faster she rode him, her inner muscles gripping his shaft tightly until he couldn’t hold back any longer. At the first flutter of her orgasm, he let out a howl and surged up one final time as his cock emptied deep inside her pussy.
Braelyn collapsed on top of him. He put his arms around her and stroked her back when she started to shake. “Braelyn? Talk to me.” When she didn’t say anything and he felt wetness against his chest, he shifted them until he sat with his back against the headboard. He cupped her face and forced her to look at him. “Don’t cry.”
“I was so scared,” she whispered. “My mom was right. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be alive now.”
He kissed her forehead. “It’s over now, and I won’t let anything like that happen again. I am a Protector, after all.”
She gave him a watery smile. “You might be one of Roxie’s Protectors, but you belong to me now and I’m not giving you back.”
“I’ll make sure she knows that.”
Braelyn wiped her eyes with her hand. “Good. Now kiss me and show me just how devoted you are to me again.”
Skylar did just that and then some.
Epilogue
Skylar sat a table away from the three people he watched at a small coffee shop. Miles and Jaden were deep in conversation while Leif sat next to his mate, his stern gaze never leaving Miles. Both father and daughter ignored him.
It had been a month since Miles had first contacted Saskia about seeing Jaden. Since then, they’d met up at least once a week in places like this coffee shop. There was no question about Miles ever being allowed near their home in Marin County. They didn’t need the risk of him seeing Roxie there and somehow figuring out she and not Jaden was the true foretold one. So far it hadn’t been a problem. Miles seemed more interested in being with his daughter than what she was supposed to be.
Skylar pulled his gaze away from the other table when Braelyn sat next to him and put one of the coffees she carried in front of him. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. He still found it hard to believe she was actually his.
In this past month, a lot had changed for her, besides becoming his mate. They’d both flown back to LA for her to do the couple of photo shoots she couldn’t cancel. After that, they’d come home and begun to settle into their life together. She’d allowed Roxie to turn her, as did both of her parents. It turned out Braelyn and her mother hadn’t had to do much convincing to get her father to go through with it. Once Skylar had explained everything werewolf to him and what it all meant, he’d been quick to agree since the women of his family were for it.
“I still find it kind of surreal that I can hear Jaden and Miles’ conversation as if I were sitting at their table,” Braelyn said.
He gave a quick shake of his head and lowered his voice. “Remember, the same can be said about them being able to hear us.” Miles didn’t know much of anything about the spell, and they wanted to keep it that way.
“Oops, sorry.” She quickly glanced over at the others. “Do you think Leif will ever unbend when it comes to Jaden seeing her father?”
Skylar chuckled. “I can’t see that happening any time soon. To be honest, I don’t blame him. We all know what Miles is capable of. We’d be stupid to let our guards down now that he’d decided to play nice.”
“For Jaden’s sake, I hope he stays that way. And before I forget, you know who called and said she wants us and my parents to come over for dinner tonight.”
The “you know who” was Roxie. She’d grown quite close to Braelyn and her mom. “All right. I just hope this time she doesn’t make me change any messy diapers.”
Somehow, whoever was on protection duty ended up getting roped into diaper duty at some point. Not that Skylar minded all that much since he loved little Jessie as if she were his own daughter. Holding her made him want one of his own. But that would have to wait for a little while yet. Braelyn wasn’t ready and wanted a few more years of her career before they started a family and she retired to become a full-time mom.
Braelyn laughed. “You never know. I do have to say I love watching you with Jessie.”
Skylar turned his attention back to the other table when Leif, Jaden and Miles stood. “Time to go, it would seem. At least Leif behaved himself again.”
There had been a few close calls during the first couple of meetings, which was understandable since Miles had taken Leif hostage not all that long ago. Skylar and Braelyn followed behind them as they left the coffee shop.
Outside on the sidewalk, Miles hugged Jaden. From where he stood, Skylar easily saw the love Miles had for his daughter showing in his eyes. Saskia was right. Leif didn’t have to worry about her father ever trying to harm Jaden. Miles might have chosen to walk the dark side, but there was still a good part to him that seemed to come out only with his daughter. If only that could mean Miles wasn’t a total lost cause.
Putting his arm around Braelyn’s shoulders, Skylar kissed the top of her head as they waited for Leif and Jaden to join them. When the other couple did, he started them walking toward the parking lot where they had parked. He sent up a silent pray, grateful he never had to worry about Braelyn’s father ever turning into one of the bad guys. He was just happy to have found his mate and been given the chance to share his very long life with her.