The monster inside me was about to rip right through my skin if I didn’t make myself known. But I couldn’t. Not yet. Martina was in the middle of something huge, a moment of complete self-awareness, and there was no way I was going to interrupt her. Yeah, my heart had cracked a little when she’d run. Leaving me alone after a second and even better encounter that left my dick aching for her and my brain so fucked up, I couldn’t even think straight.
Fuck. She ran. Again.
The monster demanded my skin, and I gave it. Tracking her through the woods like a homing pigeon. But this was no ordinary hunt. Martina wasn’t some fluffy bunny I was chasing down, intending to gobble her up for a midnight snack. Not that I wouldn’t mind eating the woman.
Grrr.
But baser instincts aside, she was my mate. My woman. And I already gave her my bite. She belonged to me. Forever and always. I just had to prove I was the right man for her. The only man who could handle everything she could dish out, and from the sound of things, that was a whole fucking lot. My woman packed a powerful punch, and it was my favorite fucking kind. Fire.
Fire Witch. Wolf. Fire Wolf. Mine.
Davian and Erryn stood silently beside me, wrapped in an embrace I was so fucking jealous of I couldn’t even look at them. Martina had just showered, her hair was still wet, and the sweats and tank top she wore hugged her curves in ways I only dreamed about being able to do. Her back was towards me and I almost laughed at the joke the universe was playing on me.
If there was one surefire way to catch my attention, it was with that ass. Seriously, all that female had to do was flash her backside in my direction. Fuck yeah. She had the perfect ass. Perfect face. Perfect brain. Perfect heart. And I didn’t mean in the sense that she was better than everyone else. Martina was just perfect for me.
She was my mate. My everything. And the only thing I needed. Martina Harbor was without a doubt the one soul in the universe that matched mine. And after hearing her deepest, darkest fears and secrets, I knew we were a match in every single way.
My Wolf cried out for me to go to her, but a hand on my arm stilled my progress. I glanced down at Erryn who shook her head, beckoning me to wait. Good thing it was her who’d touched me. The female had always struck me as someone not to fuck with.
She nodded towards where Martina was in deep discussion with her sisters, and my gaze snapped back to my mate. I watched her shoulders slump and my heart pounded hard beneath my ribs. This was killing me. Watching her suffer was like the worst kind of torture. I wanted to go to her to soothe her and reassure her. I’d never expected to meet my mate, but now that I had, I never wanted to let her go.
Patience. Be patient.
I waited a beat longer, my fingers itching to have her in my arms once more. I wasn’t cut out for this waiting shit. I wanted her here, now. I needed to tell her she was wrong. That we could make it if she’d just give us a chance. Then she asked her sisters the one question guaranteed to make me break my silence.
“Come on. Seriously, who the fuck would be crazy enough to want me in their life?” she asked and fuck, my pulse started racing.
“Me,” I said without hesitation.
Me. I was crazy enough to want her in my life. Her and any magic or mischief she brought with her. I held out my hand, and she looked at me with her gorgeous violet eyes filling with tears. Was I too late? Did I stay quiet too long?
Then her nose twitched, and she moved, ran actually, till she was right in front of me. And did my girl pause for even a second? Fuck no. My badass mate jumped right for me, knowing I’d catch her, and yeah, I fucking did. I would always catch her. Slamming my lips to hers, I kissed her, desperate to devour as much of her cinnamon apple flavor as I could with that one meeting of mouths.
I didn’t care about our audience or the fact her family was losing their minds, cheering, and whistling at us. They were great, but all that extra needed to wait. All I cared about was how right it felt to have her in my arms. And I had important business to tend to.
Now. Right now.
“Come with me,” I growled, carrying her outside to my truck.
“Wait,” she said, but I was not about to let her go for anything.
“No,” I grunted, stomping through the icy slush that had fallen after my arrival.
But my monster was riled, and I was feeling like the motherfucking post office. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, hail, or a motherfucking supernatural disaster was going to blow us off course this time. My sexy little Fire Wolf had run out on me twice now, and now that I knew her little secret, I was jumping up and down inside.
A Wolf and a Fire Witch? Holy fucking shit. No wonder she drove me wild. Sexy little badass. Woman of my heart. God, I fucking loved her.
“Mitch? Mitch? Where are we going?” Martina asked, her violet eyes wide as I sped down the back roads to my place.
“I got something to show you,” I growled, my voice deeper than usual.
My beast was riding me hard. The monster inside me had gone completely fucking ballistic when Martina took off like that. I hoped it was the last time, but you never could tell.
Eventually, I found her at her house, and when I knew she was safe, I went back for my truck. My plan was to kidnap her ass and keep her coming on my dick till she was too damn exhausted to run away. I know, I know, kidnapping isn’t okay, but I was desperate at the time and not thinking very clearly. Anyway, I didn’t do it.
After hearing her confess to her sisters what she thought was an impediment to our mating, I wanted to jump for joy. Then she said she loved me, and my heart fucking exploded. I loved this woman so damn much. She had no idea. But I was going to show her. If it took the rest of my life, I was going to show Martina Harbor exactly what she meant to me.
I pulled into the gravel driveway of the single-family home I bought a few years ago and renovated. It wasn’t a bad house, pretty nice actually. But I would sell it in a fucking heartbeat and move wherever the hell she wanted if it meant I got to live with Martina. Besides, it wasn’t the house I wanted to show her.
“This your place?”
“Yes,” I growled, jumping out of my seat and running for her door before she had time to open it herself.
“Thanks,” she whispered, ducking her head.
Sweet, sexy woman was acting shy and nervous, and that made me one protective motherfucker. Because I couldn’t help myself, I backed her against the truck and lifted her till she was eye level, then I kissed her again. Deeply, slowly, and thoroughly, I kissed her until both of us were breathing like we’d just climbed a fucking mountain. That’s what it felt like to me. But I would do more than that to win this woman. I would do anything.
“You have a nice house,” she said.
I relished the feeling of her pressed against me. Every soft curve seemed to mold to my body as I let her slide down until her feet hit the ground. She smelled delicious. Spicy cinnamon apples mixed in with my smokier musk, and fuck, I loved the heady combination.
“Thank you.”
“Um, where are we going?” she asked when I grabbed her hand and practically dragged her behind the house.
“Shed.”
Fuck. I was speaking in one-word answers. The woman had me so damn crazy I couldn’t think long enough to form a complete sentence. My dick thumped inside my jeans, and I growled.
“What’s in the shed? Mitch? Oh, my—”
She gasped and stared in wide-eyed wonder as I revealed my secret place to her. Martina was not the only one keeping things under wraps. I had one whopper of a secret myself. And it was time I showed her.
“Mitch, look, I am happy you came back for me, but I have to tell you. I’m messed up. You don't understand why I left, but I was scared I’d hurt you. I don't know whether I'm coming or going. I thought I was sick, maybe dying. I know it was silly, but my Wolf and Witch powers were gone, and I really felt like I was lost, but then you came into my life and both of them are back, and raring to go. I’m torn between being happy and scared. I could hurt you—”
It hurt me to see her so upset. She was trying so hard to tell me everything, but she needed to hear my truth first. I needed her to listen.
“I promise, baby, it will be okay. Just watch.”
The rustle of my shirt was loud in the shed as I took it off, my shoes next. She was watching carefully, looking side to side, and fuck, I loved her. Loved how brave she was. How honest. Oh, she didn’t think she was, but just look at everything she’d done. Spilling her guts, trying to keep me safe. She was the best damn woman I had ever met, and I was so proud I caught her attention. I intended to keep it, too.
This fierce, proud, hardworking female deserved to have someone in her corner. And that someone was me. She needed time yet, and a constant, steady love, and I planned to give that to her. When she was ready, this woman was going to shine. Her sisters had called her Alpha, and I fully believed them. She was a leader. A caregiver. A nurturer with a heart like gold.
“What is this place?” she asked, facing me.
“It’s a safe place. Like Harbor House is for you. This is my shed. It’s a place I can change without fear or worry.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sometimes the animal needs something other than the typical Wolf run with the Pack. Sometimes I need more.”
“I don’t understand, Mitch. Look, we have a lot to talk about—”
Martina walked right up to me, placing her hand on my chest and fuck, it felt so good to have her touch me. Her luminous eyes were like two velvet pools of purple, and I wanted to sink right into them more than I wanted anything. But first, she needed to know. I had to show her.
“We do, sweetheart, I agree. But first, let me show you my secret, Martina.”
“Okay, Mitch, and I promise, I’ll keep your secret safe,” she whispered, kissing my chest where her hand rested.
She stepped back, a frown on her face, and I moaned at the loss of her touch. The woman was hell on my nerves, but before we got to the kissing part, she needed to see. I stripped off my clothes, smirking when I caught her staring and laughing softly when her cheeks burned pink.
Sexy little Wolf.
Usually, calling my monster Wolf took a minute, but I was more than ready for my sweet mate to meet my other side. My change was fast and rough, and Martina yelped, falling back on her ass. I growled as smoke and ash swirled around my monster’s body.
During normal shifts, my Wolf was like most Werewolves. Big, muscular, strong, and fast. But there were nights when my other needed release. When the monster came out to play.
“Mitchell,” Martina whispered as I stalked over to her on four legs.
Her eyes were wide with wonder, and I opened my jaw, chuffing and growling softly. I did not want her to fear me, so I moved slowly with caution. I never allowed anyone in my space except for Timothy, and he wore protective gear to ensure I didn’t hurt him.
“Wh-what are you?”
I allowed her to look her fill and stood frozen when she finally reached out with trembling hands to stroke my flame-covered fur. A few more strokes, and I was done for. I needed to feel her hands on my skin, so I swapped places with the monster, allowing him one small lick across her cheek before I was back in my human body.
Changing was always accompanied with a certain amount of pain and sensitivity afterwards, but I didn’t give a fuck. I needed Martina in my arms, but I had to know how she felt about this.
“I should have told you—”
“I have so many questions,” she said, talking over me.
Her excitement was contagious, and I thanked the Fates for blessing me with such an incredible woman. We were both on our knees on the compact dirt floor of the shed, and suddenly I felt bad about it.
“Come here, let’s sit and talk,” I said.
I stood up and took her hand, leading her to another area of the magicked shed where I had a futon and blankets for nights when I wore myself out and crashed there instead of in the house. Martina sat down on the edge and I grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around my waist, figuring it might be easier to talk if my dick wasn’t waving around trying to get her attention.
What could I say? I was only human.
Kinda.
“Okay, first question, what was that?”
“My shift?”
“Very cute, wiseass. I mean what exactly are you, Mitchell?” she asked, and I love that she hadn’t lost any of her sass.
“I’m glad you asked, gorgeous. You see, I’m a Wolf Shifter, just like you. But like you, I have a little something extra in my bloodline. It skips around the family tree, but every now and then one of us Trumans pops up with it.”
“With what?” she asked, and I chuckled.
“Patience, sweetheart, I’m getting there,” I teased.
“Mitchell Truman, if you want to see this ass without clothes again, you will stop fucking around and tell me,” she growled and stood up.
Martina was standing right in front of me, a vision of furious beauty. Sparks shot from her fingertips the more annoyed she got, and my dick grew even harder. Biting my lower lip, I grabbed her by the waistband of her sweats and pulled her close.
The scent of her cinnamon flavored arousal filled my nostrils and my chest rumbled in response. I couldn’t wait to have her riding my face again, those thick thighs spread for me so I could lick her until she was screaming my name.
Want. Now. Grrrr.
“Nope. There will be none of this until you explain all of that,” she quipped, but she was smiling too and when I locked my arms around her, she didn’t fight it.
“That was my Hellhound side, sweetheart.”
“Hellhound?”
“Yep. Like I said, it skips a generation. But I just got lucky. Sherry Morgan helped magic this shed for me so I would have a safe place to run when my monster needs to ride the dark flames,” I explained.
“You’re not a monster,” she whispered, cupping my cheeks and nuzzling my nose with hers.
“It took a while but me and the Wolf have an understanding, Marti. And now, I know why I was given this bit of extra. You see, baby, I’m fireproof. Seriously, my skin is tough. Nothing you can throw at me, fire balls included, will hurt me. My Hellhound just eats that shit up.”
Her lower lip trembled as she looked at me with such emotion filling her eyes.
“What is it, sweetheart?” I asked, scooping her up and gathering her close.
“I fucked up. I ran away—”
“No. You didn’t know, and it’s my fault too, for not just telling you in the beginning. Please, baby, give us a chance. I know we were meant to be together.”
I kissed her tears from her cheeks and swallowed her moan as she tipped her head back and allowed me access to her precious mouth. Our kiss grew frantic in no time at all, and we were pulling off blankets and clothes, kissing, licking, touching everywhere we could reach. This time, I had no intention of stopping. The room was dark and warm from the heat we created between us.
Martina gasped, head tilting back, granting me access to her throat, and I kissed her there, on that special secret spot that made her pant and moan. Fuck, I loved the way she gave her all when it came to loving. Fucking was a physical thing, but this was different. This was a communion of bodies and souls, an intimacy I’d only ever felt with her. I wanted her to take it all. I freely gave her all of me and I was driven by the need to bring her pleasure and peace.
She was a wild thing, writhing around me, filling my head and heart. Hell, I might as well get used to it. The woman was going to be a permanent fucking resident right smack there.
Beautiful. Perfect. Fiery woman.
She seemed to burn with passion, and the hotter she got, the harder I got. Her skin burned like flames, and I was addicted to the feel of her. Power pulsed in the air, and it smelled of cinnamon and spice, fur, and musk. I wanted to be part of that, part of her.
“Love me, fuck baby, love me please,” I growled, catching her nipple between my teeth, not even aware of what I was saying.
“I love you so much, Mitch. I love you,” she moaned.
“Make me yours, sweetheart. Mark me with your fire and your bite. I can take both,” I growled, cupping my hand around her neck as I brought her face to mine. “You’re mine, Fire Wolf. My mate. And I am yours. I match you. I can take it all. Give it to me,” I begged.
“Need you, Mitch,” she nodded and fuck, I was a goner.
She was fire. And I needed fire. Martina was it for me, and I worshipped her with my body, coveted her. Sweet, precious, perfect mate.
“I need you too, baby. You match my soul. Look, look how perfect we fit,” I grunted, pressing my hard length inch by inch into her hot, wet sex.
“See, baby. See how good we fit. I belong to you, and you belong to me. Mine. Our wolves know it and I know you know it too,” I growled, moving in earnest, growling with pleasure as I pumped into her harder and deeper.
I didn’t know it was possible, but I swear my dick swelled and swelled, stroking along her tight, quivering sheath until my darling Wolf was scoring my back with her claws. Head tipped back, sweat coating our skin, Martina moaned, long and loud, her sex gripping me tight as she started to come.
Fuck, yes. My fangs lengthened, and I bit her again, claiming her on the opposite side where I’d struck before. Hell, I’d probably claim her ten more times before the night was over. The beast demanded it. The man in me loved it. Loved her.
Mine.
“And you are mine, Mitch. You’re mine,” she growled.
Then my sexy, snarly mate struck, marking me right over my heart. That bite of pain was exactly what I needed to fall over the edge, and I stiffened above her. Our matebond wrapped around us, a flame covered chain that pulsed with love and power. When I opened my eyes, we really were wrapped up in that flame. My beautiful Fire Wolf’s eyes glowed purple as she reached up and stroked my face with her flame wielding fingers.
“All my life I thought love was forbidden to me,” she whispered.
“You were wrong, and that's okay. I'm wrong like nine and a half times out of ten,” I said and smiled, kissing her flame-tipped fingers.
“I love you, Martina. That's the truth of it, and I want to build a life with you.”
“I want that, too. I love you, Mitch,” she replied, and smiled so wide my heart completely flipped over.
We loved each other slowly after that. Slowly, and thoroughly, all night long. Never once did she hurt me with her flames. Never once did I expect her to. And finally, I felt her open up to me. The bond between us burst wide open, and I felt her love, her desire, and her power pulsing through.
I growled contentedly and held her tight. This was just the beginning.