| |
MANDY
Kidnapping, death threats, and nearly being raped had left me exhausted and emotionally drained. I was thankful to be alive and glad that the people I cared about most hadn’t been seriously injured. Shortly after we arrived at the lodge, those who’d participated in the fight used some of the guest bathrooms to clean up.
Other than leaving long enough to take a shower and change into some of Reese’s clothes, Nick had been overly protective and hadn’t left my side.
Berkley had grabbed some bags of chips and prepared sandwiches, then had everyone settle into the large gathering room near the lobby. Besides her and Nick, Reese, his friend Preston, and my father were the only ones who’d returned to the lodge.
I’d only been able to thank three of the five men who’d been friends to James Reynolds for helping with the rescue before they’d returned to their homes. The other two men had sustained some serious injuries during the fight, and Bryson had taken them to the hospital in Hanford.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” My father studied me with his concerned gaze. It had been the third time he’d asked me the same question in the last few hours. He was sitting nearby in a tan, cushioned chair with his booted foot propped on the matching ottoman.
“Dad, I’m fine.” I swatted Nick’s hand when he snatched another chip from the plate sitting on my lap. Bear was curled up on the long sofa on my other side, his head on his front paws. Every so often, he’d groan and open an eye, hoping I’d toss him a morsel. “No begging.” I smiled and scratched him behind the ears.
Conversation around the room had slowly ebbed. Without saying a word, Berkley picked up the empty platters and headed in the direction of the kitchen.
I speculatively watched my friend leave, then whispered, “Nick.”
“Hmm.” He had one arm draped across the couch behind my head and was absently stroking the skin on my shoulder.
I glanced at Reese’s friend from the military who was comfortably perched on the expansive stone hearth near the fireplace. Preston hadn’t spoken more than a few words and was quietly sipping beer from a glass bottle. Every time his emerald gaze found Berkley, which seemed to be consistently, amusement tugged on the corners of his lips. Berkley, on the other hand, was doing her best to ignore him.
“Is Preston a cat?” It was the only thing I could think of to explain my friend’s behavior.
Nick’s hand froze. He narrowed his gaze, glancing at Preston, then back at me. “Yes, why?”
He had finally calmed down, and I didn’t want to cause him any more stress. “Just curious.” I leaned closer and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.
“Roy.” Berkley returned to the room and offered him a key card. “It’s getting late. Why don’t you stay here for the night, and someone can take you home in the morning?”
He took the card. “If you’re sure it’s not a problem.”
“Not at all. Come on, I’ll show you to your room.” She waited for him to lower his leg, then helped him out of the chair.
“It’s safer if we all stay at the lodge tonight.” Berkley stopped next to Nick and handed him a card as well.
“Thanks.” Nick took the key, surprising me by not arguing that he needed his space and wanted to stay in his cabin.
“Good night, sweetheart.” My father hovered behind me and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “I assume you’ll make sure my daughter gets settled.” He directed the statement at Nick.
“I’ll take good care of her.” Nick squeezed my shoulder.
I always felt safe when I was with him, and his reassuring words settled around me like a warm blanket.
“You do that.” My dad hobbled after Berkley toward the elevators on the opposite side of the lobby.
“Pres, why don’t you come with me?” Reese stood and angled his head to the rear of the lodge. “I’ll give you a tour of the private quarters and show you where you’ll be staying.”
During introductions, I’d learned that Reese had hired Preston to be his new head of security. With all the trouble they’d had with Desmond, combined with his mysterious disappearance, having additional protection around the place sounded like a good idea to me.
Now that Nick and I were alone, I remembered that he still hadn’t said anything about me being his mate, and I was suddenly nervous. He’d risked his life to save mine, and I knew he cared about me, but it didn’t lessen my trepidation at wondering why he’d kept it a secret. I had a lot of questions and didn’t know where to start. “Nick, we need to talk.”
“I know.” He removed the plate from my lap and set it on the coffee table. Instead of getting comfortable as I’d expected, Nick got to his feet, taking my hand and pulling me along with him. The next thing I knew, my feet left the floor, I was cradled in his arms, and a squeal had escaped my lips.
“Bear, let’s go.” He grinned and snuggled me closer, then headed toward the stairs leading to the second level, with the dog following behind us.
I tightened my grip on his neck. “I thought we were going to talk.”
“We are.” His long strides took us to the door at the end of the hall. He adjusted his grip, then scanned the card Berkley had given him and entered the room.
After setting me on the end of the king-size bed, Nick grabbed a pillow and placed it next to the wall on the floor. “Sorry, boy. You’ll have to sleep here tonight.” He patted the cushion and waited for Bear to settle in the middle of it.
“He usually sleeps on the end of the bed,” Nick offered by way of an explanation. “I have plans”—he sat next to me, desire filling his gaze—“and I don’t want him getting in the way.”
“Plans?” Heat pooled between my legs, my nipples hardened, and I bit my lower lip.
Nick ran the pad of his thumb along my jaw. “First, we talk.”
––––––––
NICK
It was hard to stay focused with Mandy sitting this close to me. When she’d said we needed to talk, I knew she’d want to know why I hadn’t told her about our connection. I swallowed the nervous knot constricting my throat and took her hands in mine. “Mandy, you’re my mate.”
“How long have you known?” She didn’t pull away, and she sounded curious, not angry.
I took it as a good sign and continued, “From the moment we met.” It was the truth. I might have argued with my wolf and denied it in the beginning, but deep down, I’d known.
“Oh.” Her shoulders slumped, and she lowered her head. “Was the reason you didn’t tell me because you’re disappointed that I’m human, or that you were planning to leave at the end of the year?”
“Neither.” I hated that my own insecurities had caused her to doubt her self-worth. I grasped her chin, forcing her attention back to me. “You’re perfect...better than I deserve. I was on my way to tell you this morning. I didn’t get the chance...”
“Because Carl and Dale showed up.”
I nodded. “Yeah...they kind of ruined my plans.”
“So, why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“At first, I didn’t want to say anything because of what I am.”
She shook her head. “I don’t understand. You know being a shifter doesn’t matter to me.”
“Wild wolves are loners for a reason. They have short tempers, can lose control, and sometimes go feral.”
“You mean like earlier tonight?”
“Exactly.”
She placed her hand on my cheek. “I love you and your wolf. I know neither of you would ever hurt me.”
“You do?” It took a few seconds for me to comprehend what she’d said. “Wait, you love me?”
She nodded. “I was a goner the minute you asked me out for ice cream.”
I tugged her onto my lap so she straddled my thighs. “I love you too.” I gently brushed my lips across hers.
“Are you aware that wolves mate forever?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“If you agree to let me claim you, I’ll never let you go.”
She slid her hands along my shoulders. “And if I agreed, what would a claiming involve?”
“A lot of pleasure and a bite to mark you, right about here...” I touched the skin where her shoulder met her neck, my cock growing hard at the prospect of making her mine permanently. “So everyone would know you’re my mate.”
––––––––
MANDY
Hearing Nick tell me he wanted to claim me, to make what we had permanent, made my skin tingle with anticipation. His erection pressed against my core, creating an achy need that only he could quench. “Will it hurt?”
“According to what I’ve heard, there’s a brief amount of pain followed by intense pleasure.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad...the pleasure part, I mean.” I smiled and wiggled against him.
He groaned and gripped my hips. “Does this mean you’re consenting to my claim?”
“Yes,” I murmured and reached for the edge of his shirt, then tossed it on the floor after he helped me pull it over his head. I knew he’d been injured in his fight with Dale, but he’d refused to let me examine any of his injuries afterward. “Oh, Nick.” I gently skimmed my fingers over the pink and partially healed marks on his chest. Some of them were no doubt remnants from when he’d landed after going through the window. I’d been so afraid I’d find him on the ground dead when I’d rushed to stare through the broken glass.
“It’s fine. They’ll be gone in no time.” He grasped my hand and placed a kiss on my palm. “Let me make you mine.”
I nodded and slid from his lap, unhooking the clips on my bib, then making quick work of removing the rest of my clothes. Nick stood and did the same, encircling my naked body with his arms. I ran my fingers along his chest, placing kisses on his skin and flicking his nipple with my tongue.
He groaned, gripping my nape and angling my head for a kiss. A kiss meant to possess and be tender at the same time. I moaned, leaning into him and stroking any part of his skin I could reach.
Nick spun me around to face the bed, then pulled my back against his chest. He kissed and nibbled my shoulder, slowly working his way to my neck. He cupped my breast and gently pinched my nipple, a taunting torment that tugged at my core. I gasped, needing something to hang on to, and settled my hands on his hips.
He moved his hand along my abdomen, dropping lower and sliding his hand between my legs. He slipped two fingers inside me at the same time he grazed the spot where he said he was going to mark me. The orgasm was immediate, unexpected, and left me trembling. He continued moving his fingers, drawing out my pleasure until I thought I was going to collapse in a heap on the floor.
I barely had a chance to recover before I found myself in the center of the bed on my hands and knees. Nick knelt behind me, nudging my legs wider. I glanced over my shoulder, noting the feral flicker in his eyes, a reminder that his wolf wanted to be part of the claiming. He pushed aside my braid, then gripped my hips and slid inside me. His movements were anything but teasing and slow. Each powerful stroke was designed for optimal pleasure and quickly shoved me toward another climax. He kept one hand on my hip to anchor me in place and used the other to tap my clit in time with his thrusts.
“Mine.” The animalistic growl was the only warning I got before he sank his fangs into the soft flesh covering my shoulder.
I experienced pain, pleasure, and another orgasm at the same time. All I could do was grip the comforter and let the overwhelming sensations wash over me.
Seconds later, Nick had his arm wrapped around my waist, groaning through his own release. He rolled onto his side, taking me along with him. When the tremors finally subsided, I realized he was lapping the skin around my bite.
“I might have gotten a little carried away,” he said, sounding a tiny bit guilty. “Does it hurt?”
I moved my shoulder, then rolled onto my back so I was facing him. “It’s not that bad. How does it look?”
He presented me with an annoyingly arrogant grin and kissed my cheek. “Like I marked my mate.”
