chapter 10
Humbled. That's how Michael felt at this moment, as Shyne drifted off to sleep after baring her soul to him. He had desperately wanted to talk to her while she shared her life with him, but in his wolf form all he could offer her was gentle nudges and soft growls. He'd grown up with not only his family but the entire pack as his larger, extended family. She'd never really known what family meant. Her friendship with Trav was the closest thing she had to a family, and now he understood why he was so important to her.
When he felt the tickle of awareness that let him know his human body was strong enough to handle the shift back, he eased out from under her and slipped to the floor to shift. In the time that she'd been sleeping, he made several decisions, and now he had to act. He donned his jeans and stole quietly out of the bedroom and into the second bathroom to find the first aid kit that Cades kept in there. He cleaned the cut on Shyne's hand and placed a gauze pad over it before wrapping it with a strip of gauze and tying it. Pride shifted through him again as he tended her self-inflicted wound. He had no idea that she'd planned to do that, and now he understood why she was talking to his mom and Cades so seriously earlier. And, clearly, Jason was in on it also. He was really happy for his family once more.
The room was cool from the air conditioner, and Shyne was wearing only a tank and shorts, so he pulled a light blanket from the bottom of the bed up and covered her before leaving the room and closing the door.
Jason was sitting at the kitchen table having a snack of a large wedge of the apple pie Karly had left.
"Shyne asleep?" Jason asked, gesturing to the empty plate and fork and the full glass of milk. Clearly his brother was expecting him.
"Yeah. She was really upset and then finally fell asleep." Michael knew that Jason and Cades would have been able to hear at least her crying, if not a good portion of what was said. Wolves had excellent hearing, even in their human form. He cut a wedge of pie and put it on his plate, sinking his fork through the glistening layers of apples and perfectly flaky crust. Cinnamon exploded on his tongue, along with the sweet taste of apples that were picked from the trees in his parent's backyard. They ate in silence, and Michael was reminded of the many times in their youth when they would steal down to the kitchen for a snack in the middle of the night.
Plates cleared to the sink and glasses of milk topped off, Jason leaned back in the chair and said, "What do you want to talk about first?"
His brother knew him so well. "Housing. I can't ask her to marry me and then take her back to the trailer. She deserves a house so she can finally have the home she's been denied."
Jason nodded in agreement. "Dad wants to talk to you about that, so go see him after breakfast. Next?"
As he wondered what his father wanted to talk to him about, he told Jason about his need to buy a car and an engagement ring, and most pressing it seemed, find a way for Shyne to continue to do what she worked so hard to put herself through school for, without her having to work at that gym.
"Karly mentioned that the rec center in the development where Linus' mom and grandparents live is looking for an activities director. Maybe you should go visit grandpa over there and have him arrange for a visit from the head of the center. You remember her, Bradshaw's human mate Susan."
Bradshaw and Susan were his grandpa's age and lived in the large wolf-centric development on the other side of town. It was a retiree community, made of modest homes with small, well tended yards. They even had a patrol of wolves from the pack that kept an eye on things overnight. That would be a perfect place for Shyne to work. Close, well protected, and valuable. He had a feeling that besides how hard she worked to get where she was in life, she wanted to be vital and important, to make her mark. She'd been practically kicked to the curb when she turned eighteen, left to fend for herself with nothing but a few dollars and a GED. He admired her immensely.
He finished his third glass of milk, said goodnight to his brother, and headed back upstairs. He'd had a few aches and bruises from the fight, but they were well on their way to almost entirely healed. He kept his jeans on and climbed into bed next to her, careful not to wake her up. He tucked himself against her back, resting his arm across her waist. After a few deep breaths of her naturally sweet scent, he slipped down into a deep sleep.
He woke just moments before she did, and got to watch as she rolled onto her back and stretched, making a cute squeaking noise before opening her eyes. She pressed her hands against both sides of his face. "Did you hear everything I said to your wolf last night?"
"Yeah. Why?"
She grinned. "I just didn't want to have to repeat myself."
"Heaven forbid." He dipped his head down to kiss her exposed collar bone. "When I'm in my shift, I'm still me; it's just there's this other, more primal part of myself that wants and feels things, too."
"Such as?"
He picked up her wrist and inspected the scabbed bite marks. "Such as marking you as mine so that everyone who sees these marks knows that a wolf loves you."
"That hurt, you know." Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Says the woman who cut her own hand with a knife."
Her mouth pursed slightly and then her lids dropped halfway, giving her a sultry look. "Didn't you say something about having a long, naked talk?"
His eye twitched, and his cock leapt to life. "You're the one who said naked. And besides, baby, we're in my brother's house, and wolves have really excellent hearing."
She sighed exaggeratedly. "I don't think I'll ever get to see you naked again."
Damn it, he loved her spunk. "You will, later. First, breakfast, and then I need to go talk to my dad for a bit, and then we can head back to my place. Or yours."
"Yours is fine."
She yawned and stretched again, flashing a bit of perfect belly that he had to lean over and kiss. Which was a mistake, because all he wanted to do was shove the shirt up and find out what color her nipples were. Steeling himself against his baser urges, which was some damn feat, he shoved off the bed and stood up, finding his shirt on the small dresser.
She put her hand in his when he opened the bedroom door, and they stepped out into the hall. "Does that mean they heard everything I said last night, too?"
"Probably. But they won't bring it up unless you do first. There are certain things you get used to with werewolves. One is never having a private conversation if one of them is anywhere nearby."
"Anything else I should know?" she asked as they headed down the stairs.
Cades called from the kitchen, "Wolves are really possessive of their mates."
She and Michael both laughed, knowing that Cades had heard the whole conversation from upstairs. When they came into the kitchen, Cades was standing at the stove while Jason leaned against the counter watching her closely.
Michael held out a chair for Shyne and grabbed coffee for both of them. Cades finished cooking the sausage links, and Jason brought the filled plate over to the table for her. It was sweet for him to see how his brother was with his wife, especially now that she was pregnant. Cades and Shyne carried on their own conversation about an outlet mall twenty minutes east of Allen, and he and Jason rolled their eyes at each other, fairly sure that they were going to get roped into an all-day shopping spree. But that was actually okay with him. As much as Shyne needed family, Cades needed friendship. The two seemed well-matched.
Before he and Shyne left to walk to his parent's home, a short ten minute walk from Jason and Cades' home, Jason said, "I have some good news for you. Fritz and Jazlyn's pack are going to take over the bar."
"Really?" That was excellent news. It was a huge burden for him. He may just want to dance a jig.
"Yeah. Fritz called me yesterday and asked if the offer still stood. Apparently one of the brothers has an accounting degree, and another used to bartend, and then there's that big ape that will be good for security. I talked to Dad, and he and Mom are going to take over the general management of the bar. They'll be the bosses, so Fritz and his crew will report to them but basically handle the actual running of the bar. Mom will handle the stock and supplies, Dad will handle staff and maintenance. It will be good for them. I think Dad's tired of working on the occasional car and wants to do something full time."
"That's great." Michael was thrilled. Not only would the bar be out of his hands so he could concentrate on Shyne, but his parents would do a great job of running the show.
The walk to his parent’s home normally took about ten minutes, but he and Shyne held hands and meandered lazily through the wooded area between the two homes. Both homes had been built about the same time, his parents home had belonged to his grandparents at one time, and Jason and Cades' home had belonged to her grandmother.
When they reached his parent's home, he and Shyne walked in through the back door and found his parents reading the paper at the kitchen table. His mom popped out of her chair and hugged and kissed him and gave Shyne a warm hug. "Come with me, honey, I want to show you something."
Shyne beamed as his mom pulled her out of the kitchen and took her upstairs. "She's just going to show her your old baby pictures."
"Oh, nothing too embarrassing," Michael groaned. There was that one picture of him asleep on the toilet at age two. It would be just like his mother to think that picture worthy of showing his new mate.
He joined his father at the table, and his dad folded the newspaper and put it aside. "Your mom and I want to give you this house."
Michael's mouth dropped open in surprise. Of all the things his father might say to him, he never expected this. "Dad?"
His father's eyes crinkled as he smiled. "Your mom is ready for a smaller house, and with us taking over the bar, it will be nice for us to be closer. There's a home for sale in the development that's perfect, and we've already put a contract on it. This home is completely paid for. We could be out within a month, if all goes smoothly with the house in the development. What do you think?"
He was stunned and didn't know what to think. "It seems so fast, Dad. Why all of a sudden?"
"You found your mate. Jason never needed a house, because of Cades. When they got married, we gave them a check for the value of this house, knowing that one day we'd give it to you. We were just waiting for you to find your mate and settle down, and let me tell you, your mother was beginning to wonder if you were going to be a bachelor for the rest of your life."
He was beginning to wonder that himself. Until Shyne came along. He took a quick stock of the house. Cozy kitchen, large family room, formal dining room. He could picture children running down the stairs for breakfast, some with Shyne's beautiful skin and hair, some with his light tan and blond hair. Slowly, piece by piece, his life was coming together. And the reason was upstairs with his mom: Shyne. His mate. His future wife. His perfect woman.
"Dad, I'm...well, I'm honored. Thank you so much."
He leaned over the table and hugged his dad, thankful once more for his family. A burst of laughter from upstairs told him that Shyne had found something very humorous in his baby pictures. He and his father talked quietly about the house, and as his mom and Shyne began to move downstairs, he told his father he wanted to wait and share the news with her when things were ready. Right now, she was overwhelmed with everything she'd been subjected to. Telling her that he was ready to marry her and start a family might make her run for the hills. Promising to keep things quiet until he was ready to share the news himself, they made plans to go over the books for the bar with Cades and Fritz's brother-in-law during the evening one week and then for them to shadow him during the next few weekends.
Shyne's eyes were bright, and her grin was infectious when she sat down on his lap and kissed his cheek. "How embarrassed should I be?" He tweaked a lock of her hair.
"Not at all...toilet sleeper."
Stifled chuckles told him that his parents also thought the nickname was funny, and he growled with a low voice, "Watch it, or I'll postpone our talk."
Her eyes went very wide, and her laughter died abruptly. Looking absolutely pitiful, she hung her head and said, "I'll be good."
Not good, baby, fantastic.
"Thanks, for everything." He said to his parents as he set his sweetheart on her feet and stood up.
After saying goodbye, they walked back to where his bike was parked in front of Cades and Jason's house and handed her the helmet. "Where to now? To talk?" she asked as she fit herself behind him and held him tightly.
"Not yet."
Several hours later, they walked into the trailer with take-out, leaving a brand new black Ford Escape parked in front. They'd had to go to three dealerships to find the right vehicle, but it was perfect in his mind. Four wheel drive for roughing it, big enough for a few rugrats, and very safe for his family. Plus it was pretty damn awesome looking. Oddly, signing the loan paperwork made him feel like he was on his way to really taking care of his mate. She would need a better car, too, but first things first.
When he would have sat on the couch, Shyne spread out the blanket from the back of the couch on the floor and began to set out their Chinese. She ate her cashew chicken with chopsticks like a pro, and he stuck to eating his beef and broccoli, with extra beef, with a fork. As they ate and talked about the events of last night, the tension grew between them by slow degrees. Everything she did seemed to be made to purposely ratchet up his desire. Each stroke of her tongue across her lips, each bite of food chewed slowly and made with pleased humming sounds, was enough to make him believe his cock would tear itself off his body in an effort to get to her.
He put down his things and took a long drink of soda. He began to tell her about wolves and their mates, deciding that he could save the history lesson on werewolves for another time when he wasn't entirely desperate to find out what she looked like naked. She listened intently as he told her about wolves' possessive natures, their desire to mark their mates and be together as much as possible, and how he felt about her.
"It's not just that I love you, Shyne, it's that I can't bear the thought of being without you. And it's not just me but my wolf, too. When you're away from me, I have this overwhelming urge to find you and hold you tight. Yesterday, when you were so quiet and withdrawn, it was like torture for me. I wanted to comfort you, but you were lost in your own thoughts and guilt. It made me crazy."
"I'm sorry." Her brows furrowed slightly, and her lush lips pursed. "So what exactly is this marking thing you keep talking about?"
He placed his hand on the back of her neck underneath the thick curtain of her hair. Squeezing gently with the tips of his fingers and thumb over her spine, he said, "When a wolf chooses their mate, when they are ready, they allow their fangs to elongate, and they pierce the flesh here, on either side of the spine. It hurts a bit, but it's often done during sex, when pleasure can overcome that pain. The marks will be permanent. It's a way for wolves to ensure that anyone that sees their mate will know instinctively that he or she is taken. Wolves are monogamous when they're mated. Although there are wolves that are cheating bastards, it's often because they were forced into the mating and don't actually love their mate. But you never have to worry about that with me, sweetheart. There is only you for me, forever."
Her eyes shimmered brightly. "I know you wouldn't cheat on me, Michael. You have too much character."
That was possibly the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to him. He pulled her into his arms across the blanket and devoured her mouth in a kiss. Her fingers tangled in his hair, her short nails abrading his skull. He stood up, not breaking the kiss, and she moved with him, wrapping her legs around his waist and anchoring herself to his body. Maneuvering through the house, he stopped kissing her long enough to pull the covers back from the bed and laid her gently down on the surface. She purred like a cat, reaching for the hem of her shirt and lifting it.
"Wait, baby," he pushed her hands away gently, "let me."
Her hands lifted sensually over her head, and she bit her lower lip. That lower lip was going to be his undoing. Dropping to his knees, he undid her shoes and slipped her socks off, smiling as she wiggled her purple painted toenails. Kissing the arch of each foot, he pressed kisses randomly as he moved up her perfect legs, coming to a stand between her legs as they dangled off the bed. He lifted the shirt slowly, baring her flat belly inch by delicious inch, his lips tracing the sleek curve of her waist and enjoying the sweet taste of her skin. He freed her of the shirt, tossing it off the bed, and traced his fingers across the swell of her breasts covered by a pink satin bra.
Reaching underneath, he unsnapped the bra and then caught the center ribbon with his teeth and pulled upwards, watching as she lowered her arms and the straps slid free. He leaned over her with his arms rigidly on either side of her body, tossing the bra to the side with a grunt and growling softly as she resumed her previous position — hands above her head, her body now half bared for him.
Curving his hand to fit one of her breasts, he ran his thumb across the dark nipple, the color a perfect cocoa against her coffee with cream skin. He flicked his tongue across the hardened tip, and she took in a slow breath. Encouraged by her reaction, he sucked her nipple into his mouth slowly, holding it tightly within the confines of his mouth before releasing it just as slowly. The color deepened with each suckle, and he turned his attention to the other nipple, until both were wet and hard and sensitive.
She hauled him upwards by fisting his hair in her hands, moaning as his mouth landed on hers and their tongues slid together. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and she ground the apex of her thighs against his cock, making small mewling noises in the back of her throat. Her hands fisted in his shirt and tugged upwards, and he lifted off her enough to shrug out of it before pressing his body tightly to hers again to resume their kiss.
He kissed down her jaw to her neck, placing open mouthed kisses as he moved down to her shoulder and to her chest, sweeping his tongue in the valley between her breasts. His hands framed her body, his fingers and hands lightly gripping her sides as he reached her navel and swirled his tongue inside. Her hands slapped on the bed with a moan, and he grinned inwardly at her response. Sucking lightly on the flesh of her flat tummy, he darted his tongue around her navel again and enjoyed the sound of her panting breaths.
He undid her shorts and hooked his fingers into the waistband of her shorts and panties, drawing them down her lean legs and dropping them to the floor. Her bare sex was glistening with silky wetness, and he slid his finger slowly up and down the seam before rubbing lightly on her swollen *. He hooked her legs over his shoulders and licked a slow path up her p-ssy, closing his eyes as he savored the sweet, womanly taste of her. He slid one of his hands up her body until he could mold his hand around her breast, and he spread the silky lips of her p-ssy apart with the fingers of his free hand, giving himself the first, glorious view of her heaven. His heaven.
He licked up one side and down the other before licking around her tight bud. She shuddered lightly under him, a small moan escaping, and while he wanted to get her off quick, he didn't want to take the easy route. Not this first time.
He drew her * into his mouth with slow, light pressure, watching as she relaxed back to the bed and closed her eyes. He pulled his hand back from where he'd been holding her open and swirled his finger into her opening, taking the time to thoroughly coat his finger before he pushed further inside. Her core was molten hot and pulled him in as he explored her depths with slow thrusts and curving touches.
Crooking his finger upwards, he searched for that secret, soft as velvet place, listening carefully for the change in her breathing to tell him he'd found it. When her breath hitched in her throat, he paused, waited, and then stroked that place more firmly. She hiccupped on the next breath and then let out a small moan. He continued to suckle her * lightly as he made contact with her g-spot, increasing the pressure of both his mouth and his finger until she began to shift her hips up and her moans filled the air. Backing off for a moment, he lightly flicked his tongue across her swollen * and fingered her with two fingers, watching as her body relaxed from the tension coiling inside her by slow degrees. He splayed his free hand across her belly as he kept his touches light, until all the tension was gone from her body, and in one swift movement he pulled her * into his mouth and curved his finger up to devil her spot. She bucked under him, crying out in surprise and pleasure as he drove her hard and fast to the edge and beyond. He lashed the tip of her * with his tongue and stroked her faster until her whole body jerked, and she screamed, her fingers digging into the bed and her knuckles turning white as her body arched off the bed in bliss.
He released her sensitive cit and pulled his fingers out, taking a taste of the proof of her desire with a lick to one finger. She tasted like sweet heat, like a rainstorm in August, and he wanted to feast on her forever. He rose up over her, and she watched him with a sultry, satisfied look. She raised her knee and nudged his shoulder with her hand, shifting to roll him to his back and sliding over top of him. Her body hovered just over his as she leaned forward and licked across his lips. Her tongue dipped inside his waiting mouth.
"Umm," she murmured with a slow smile, "we taste good together."
She made fast work of his jeans and leaned over to touch the hard length of him. Her fingers were warm and firm as she fondled his cock, her thumb caressing the vein on the underside. She kissed the smooth head before tonguing the broad expanse and catching the drop of pre-come. Each stroke of her tongue and fingers was one step closer to his undoing, and when she licked her lips and opened her mouth, sliding him easily into her mouth, he groaned and let himself go into the sensations for just a few moments. It was all he could take. She had one talented mouth.
His hands flew to her wrists, and he groaned, "Baby, please."
Their eyes met as she slid off his cock and moved gracefully up his body and kissed him. Rolling her to her back, he kneed her legs open, and she wrapped them around his back, her heels lightly digging in. He guided his cock into her depths, and their voices combined on long drawn out moans as he fought the tightness of her body until he was fully seated. He savored the first stroke into her, the way she gripped him so tightly and perfectly, and the dewy, love-glazed look in her eyes.
"Mine," he growled, his hands wrapping around her shoulders.
Her nails abraded his flesh as she met his eyes and whispered, "Yours."
Flexing his hips, he pulled out of her until he was almost entirely free of her body before plunging back in. She arched under him, her legs pulling him in further as her hands gripped him tight. He pounded into her, reveling in the perfect ecstasy of her body, swiveling his hips until he found her sweet spot again and sent her plummeting over the edge with his name on her lips. They moved together like mad beasts, their bodies meeting in hard pounding, thrusting movements that carried them closer and closer to completion. One hand tangled in her hair pulled her head to the side to expose her neck while he drove the breath from her lungs. He licked up the sweet, salty length of her and bit gently, loving her answering moan and the way her fingernails dug into his back. His cock swelled inside her, and he increased the pace of his thrusts as he rode out her orgasm before his own thundered over him, hurtling him into sheer pleasure as he roared her name and his wolf echoed with a howl in his mind.
He shuddered as his cock emptied into her, and her hands smoothed over his sweat-slicked back and drew him down into her arms. He cradled her, taking the brunt of his weight on his arms, settling his face in the crux of her neck.
“Worth the wait,” she whispered with a sex-roughened voice.
He lifted his head until he could look into her pretty, dark eyes. Her lips were plump from kissing, her eyes were bright with contentment, and the blush still evident on her skin made her even more beautiful. This woman was everything he’d ever wanted and things he hadn’t known existed wrapped up in a devastating package. He was the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet, and he’d spend every second of his life proving he was worth that dewy, love addled look on her face.
Rolling them both, he cradled her into his chest with his arms wrapped tightly around her lithe body. “Most definitely,” he promised, making a silent vow to see her so content and well-loved every night.
No short order, but he was just the wolf for the job.