He pummeled her hot, gripping pussy, the fiery friction pushing her into a second fierce orgasm just as he sank his elongated fangs deep into the muscle where her throat met her shoulder. He threw back his head and roared his pleasure. She could see her crimson blood on his fangs. His cock grew even larger inside her until the force of his volcanic release jetting against the mouth of her womb pushed her into a third violent spasm.
And the world went black.
Ellie stretched luxuriously against the cool silken sheets, smiling before she even opened her eyes. The morning sun shone in the window and warmed her bare skin.
No blankets over her, no pillow under her head. Those had been consigned to the floor early in the night and had never made it back onto the bed in the long hours of passionate exploration that followed. And that was after they had finally made it down the hall and into the bedroom.
What a glorious night!
She could feel the echoes of last night’s incredible excitement in her flesh this morning, the slight twinges in her thigh muscles and deep thrilling ache inside telling her that she had shared her body with a virile partner.
Rylek was astonishing, she thought with a smug smile, her eyes still closed. Whether by his vulfen nature, or just his own hunger for her, he had demonstrated a surprising creativity and a stamina that delighted and exhausted her. This morning, she was having a hard time deciding to wake up. She usually hopped out of bed with an excellent energy level. She blamed Rylek, and the fact that she was sure she hadn’t slept more than twenty minutes the whole night.
She rolled to her side slowly with her arms stretched over her head and her body arched, basking like a cat in the delicious warmth of the sun. She could feel, in every movement, the resonance of his physical possession. She had such a wonderful sense of wellbeing. It was amazing the difference one night could make.
A soft appreciative growl sounded in the room, and finally Ellie’s
eyes fluttered open.
Rylek stood in the doorway wearing his black dress pants and nothing else. The sight of his glorious muscular chest with its triangle of crisp hair made her nipples peak in remembrance. He held a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. His black eyes devoured her nudity, and she shuddered in reaction even as she reached for the coffee he handed to her.
“I can’t possibly,” she moaned half laughing, feeling the clenching ripple of her body as it dampened for him.
His nostrils flared as if he could scent her ungovernable response,
and his eyes began to glow. “To my regret, my heart, neither can I at this moment. I have been put to hard use through the night by my beautiful new mate.” She swatted him half-heartedly and he pretended to stagger. His wry smile warmed her and he waggled his eyebrows in an exaggerated leer. “Perhaps after breakfast?”
Ellie could feel the heat in her cheeks.
Rylek handed her the cup, careful to make sure she had a good hold before he let go. Ellie sipped the scalding brew.
“You make wonderful coffee,” she sighed in appreciation.
“Valeri made the coffee,” he said, then caught the cup as it wobbled in her hand.
“Valeri is here? Who else is here?” Ellie scrambled from the bed
and grabbed for one of the sheets from the floor. “For heaven’s sake, where’s my robe?”
“My seconds are here with several of the Cadre warriors. I
gathered all our clothes and dropped them in here when I felt the warriors arriving.” He indicated the jumbled pile just inside her bedroom door.
Ellie breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
He sketched an elaborate bow, his eyes twinkling. “Anything for you, my lady.”
Ellie grinned. She loved his teasing. He always seemed so serious in nature it was nice to see him relaxed. She didn’t understand the ins
and outs of his culture, but she was sure that an Alpha wolf would have a great deal of responsibility and very little time to play. She thought that providing some playtime for him could become an important part of her role as his mate.
She really had to make it a priority to talk to those other human women who had become mates. Maybe they could give her some good tips.
“Rylek, I need to meet the other humans who have mated into your—uh—clans.” She rubbed her neck, catching the bite mark from last night. She scratched it lightly, easing the itch.
“You will meet all my people soon.”
How many people would she be meeting? No, better not ask that question just now. There would be plenty of time to panic after she had a chance to finish her coffee. It was very good coffee.
Ellie made a face. “I should have a shower,” she said.
Rylek’s head snapped up. “No.” His face flushed at her incredulous look. “Please, Ellie, the Cadre must know that you are mine. I know this is not the way of humans, but the vulfen culture is very different, as you will learn. The scent is to tell others who your protector is. The warriors will be able to sense that I have marked you. My scent is on you, inside you. Please do not shower this morning before you meet the Cadre.”
Ellie could feel her face heating. It would take some getting used to, but if she was honest with herself, she didn’t want to wash him off either. She nodded slowly and was gratified to see his smile.
“Valeri informs me that breakfast will be ready in moments. But we will be in a room filled with warriors, so you must dress. I would regret having to kill a member of my own guard for admiring your beautiful skin. It is still so early in the day.” He popped his claws out and retracted them idly, sliding his tongue around one elongated fang.
The sight of her lover with claws and fangs was such a turn-on. She had come a long way in one night, for a “little human female.”
Ellie suppressed a grin and began to dress, settling on a flirty royal
blue skirt and a simple white silk blouse. She was beginning to understand his dry sense of humor. Though she had no doubt that he would kill for her at the first sign of danger, she didn’t think he would feel threatened by another male just looking at her. Not after last night when she had eagerly welcomed him time after time.
Ellie shivered just thinking about last night. And this morning. Would Rylek want her like that every night? Or would the heat between them eventually fade until they were making excuses to avoid each other like some human couples did?
“Your scent has a trace of sadness at this moment, Ellie.” Rylek’s dark eyes were concerned. “Will you tell me your thoughts?”
She shook her head. It was a silly thing to be worried about the physical side of love when she knew that the soul connection between them was strong.
“Please, Ellie. I cannot stand your discomfort. Are you upset about meeting the warriors, meeting my people? I assure you they will love you as I do.”
She shook her head again. “I wasn’t thinking about that. I was wondering if the…um…attraction between us will cool off at all now that we’ve mated.” She tried to keep her voice even, but she could tell by the change in his expression that she wasn’t fooling him.
“My heart, we will burn down the world. I will love you every night and most days.” He moved closer to her. His warm arms came around her and his whispered words vibrated against her sensitive throat. “This feeling will only grow stronger as time goes on, and we will forever be sneaking away to have time alone. No doubt we will embarrass our grandchildren with our antics as my own grandparents did me from time to time.”
She could feel his slow smile as he nuzzled against her skin. “Rylek,” she sighed, and the need for him was throbbing in her
voice.
“My heart, if you want breakfast before we must call it lunch, you have to run now,” he said tenderly, licking along the line of her jaw.
“Run, Ellie.”
“I thought you said you couldn’t.” It came out not as a protest, but as an invitation.
He growled softly with his mouth on the thin silk covering the
swell of her breast. She moaned as he pressed her body against his rapidly stiffening cock.
“You inspire me.”
She giggled and squirmed as his hot tongue slid between the buttons on her blouse to find warm skin.
“Run.”
She leaned down and whispered in his ear, knowing what his reaction to her confession would be. Knowing how much he loved to explore the incredible effect he had on her body. “I can’t run away from you. You make my heart melt and my knees weak.”
Rylek’s response was a wordless rumble against her soft flesh. He rubbed his face back and forth, and seemed to be savoring her scent.
There was a sharp knock on the door, just one. Rylek whipped his head around and snarled toward the door in warning.
After a moment, the single knock came again.
He sighed and pressed a lingering kiss to her breast, his arms tightening around her.
“The knock is Valeri’s signal. The warriors are waiting for us. It is
time.” His words were slow, his tone distracted.
Ellie pushed out of his arms. She straightened her blouse and smoothed her skirt with nervous hands as she slipped on a pair of sandals.
“What does my hair look like?” She saw the admiring look on his face and smiled because his hands had been in her hair half the night. “No, don’t say beautiful. I know it must be a mess.”
Rylek smiled at that, and pointed to the mirror.
Ellie was almost afraid to look at first, but her hair wasn’t bad, actually. She combed it out quickly and gathered it into a high ponytail. No, maybe not. Deciding against the upsweep, she let it fall
down her back au naturel. It was a mass of wild black curls, as usual, but the frizz was minimal. It would have to do.
Rylek watched her the whole time, seemingly fascinated by her every move.
“Okay,” she said after brushing her teeth and checking the mirror one last time. “It’s just a room full of wolves. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” She turned to Rylek. “We’ll walk out there together. Uh, you go first.”
Rylek grabbed her hand and pulled her giggling out the door.
She let him enter the tiny living room first, but when he stopped just inside the doorway, his muscular back was so wide that she couldn’t see around him.
The air was heavy with the scents of coffee and bacon, and she could hear several male voices talking. Many of them weren’t speaking English, but she could tell from the tone that they were taunting and teasing one another. One slightly louder voice sounded like it was bragging, drawing laughing protests from several others.
Then, all the voices fell silent at once.
Rylek stepped into the room and pulled her up beside him. This was her first look at the vulfen warriors. They were staring right back at her. They were…big. Their broad shoulders and large frames filled her small apartment to bursting.
She saw Miros at once. Valeri had his back to her for a moment while he worked at the kitchen counter. He winked when he turned and caught sight of her. A number of the others seemed familiar to her also. Perhaps she had seen them at the restaurant. She couldn’t be sure.
One by one, they all started sniffing and their eyes began to glow fiercely. Claws and fangs appeared with startling speed. They moved toward her, a crowd of massive bodies, and Ellie became alarmed. Rylek kept a firm grip on her hand, holding her there by his side when she tried to pull back. Just when she was sure she would scream from the building tension, the warriors dropped to their knees with a loud
thud and bowed their heads. They leaned so low that the backs of their necks were bared to her.
They were offering their lives to keep her safe, offering to die for her. Remembering the meeting with Miros and Valeri the night before, Ellie looked at Rylek for guidance. He met her gaze and nodded, but said nothing. Well, no help there. She was on her own.
She placed one hand on the top of the shaggy gray head of the warrior nearest her and spoke. “I thank you for your protection,” she said formally.
The Cadre warriors fixed eyes on her face. They all slashed the claws of one hand across the opposite forearm, causing blood to flow. Ellie gasped.
In tandem all the vulfen warriors surged to their feet with both arms raised, blood dripping from wounds and claws, and roared at full volume. The wall of sound shocked her eardrums and made the dishes in her china cabinet rattle.
When the sound stopped, it took a moment for her to realize it because her ears were still ringing. She stepped back and put her arms around Rylek’s waist. Her hands were shaking and she steadied them by gripping her mate.
Valeri came in from the kitchen with huge platters of bacon and pancakes, and winked at her again. The side table was already laden with plates, napkins, and cutlery. He quickly served heaping breakfast plates to Ellie and then Rylek. He saw to it that they were seated together on the couch before he gave a signal for the Cadre warriors to serve themselves. It was all very informal as they shared a meal.
After a moment, the warriors began talking quietly, jockeying for position as they filled their plates and found places to sit on her living room floor. They still stole glances at her as they ate, but the intensity of the moment before was lessened considerably. Some of the warriors were still bleeding from the cuts on their arms. No one mentioned the blood, so Ellie didn’t ask about it. She’d corner Rylek later and ask a hundred more questions.
She had survived the first meeting. If Rylek wanted any more than that from her, he should have given her a handbook. Really, would it have killed him to just throw out a hint or two?