Wolf's Mate: Lindy And The Wulfen Part 11

Her body soared with pleasure that coiled tighter and tighter inside her. She moaned and tried to move, but he snarled and bit down on the place where her neck and shoulder met. Sharp fangs pierced her skin, and she gasped as the pain faded to a warm throb. He gripped her tighter around the waist, angling her hips up farther until she cried out as his c.o.c.k hit a place deep inside her. She gasped out halting breaths as he pounded into her, rubbing that spot over and over as he growled into her shoulder. Swamped with pleasure, overwhelmed with sensation, she gave herself up to him.

Her o.r.g.a.s.m flashed through her like lightning, branding her body and soul. He came, lifting his mouth from her shoulder, his howl splitting the silence of the cavern as his c.o.c.k spasmed deep inside her. Her p.u.s.s.y locked down on his c.o.c.k as the pleasure flowed over her like a waterfall, warming her from head to toe.

"Crimson, Crimson," she moaned his name as he held her tight.

"Lindy," he groaned and eased his body from hers. The pull of his c.o.c.k from her sensitive p.u.s.s.y made her s.h.i.+ver, and he settled on his side and pulled her into his arms. His tongue stroked over the mark he'd made on her shoulder.

Possessive feelings stole over her, and she twisted in his arms and flattened him on his back, caging him with her arms. She knew he could easily best her; he was stronger than her and gifted with fae abilities as well as his supernatural s.h.i.+fter genes. That he willingly let her dominate him now erased some of the inadequacy she'd felt since she'd met him. He really was her mate, because only a male who was mated to a female would allow himself to be taken to his back and marked.

Her fangs elongated at the thought of marking him, and his eyes, which were still red, sought hers for a moment before he bared his neck to her. She growled his name and sank her fangs into the side of his neck. Her pack normally marked on the back of the neck over the spine, but she and her wolf both wanted his marks to be visible to everyone at all times. The sweet tang of his blood crested her tongue as his arms wrapped around her and held her close.

"Yes," he hissed, molding her body to his, one hand moving into her hair and holding her head in place.

Releasing the hold on his neck, she licked the edges of her fangs before they receded into her mouth. She stroked her tongue over the marks.

Their eyes met once more and they both spoke at the same time. "Mine."

Chapter 14.

Lindy snuggled close to him, and his wolf howled in triumph at the slight pain in his neck from where her delicate fangs had pierced him. The marks were healing, scarring over so that they would remain for the rest of his life as proof that he and Lindy were mated. He had loved sinking his fangs into her neck, too, and judging by the way her p.u.s.s.y had spasmed in climax again, he knew that she enjoyed it, too.

He was falling in love with her. All the years of wondering where he fit in, and it turned out he fit perfectly with this wolf s.h.i.+fter from the mortal realm.

After their hearts stopped pounding, he picked her up and carried her over to the hot spring. He put her down on the gra.s.s, and she wiggled her toes saying, "I thought it was carpet!"

"Riyad helped me prepare the cave for you. I wanted this to be as comfortable as I could make it."

"It's all so beautiful."

Yes, she was.

He retrieved two towels and a bottle of bathing oil from one of the packs and placed them at the edge of the pool. He stepped down onto the first step. The almost-too-hot water covered his feet. He reached for her hands, and she followed willingly as he moved down each step, pausing for long moments as their bodies adjusted to the temperature of the water. When they had both dunked under the water, he led her to a depression carved into the pool where she could recline against the side.

Using the bathing oil, he ma.s.saged the sweet-smelling liquid into her skin, one of the rituals from his ancestors. As he lifted one leg out of the water, he planted her foot on his chest and ma.s.saged her calf, explaining that fae males used scent in their bonding rituals. He had chosen honeysuckle oil because he knew she liked the aroma of the soap in his home, and he found that it reminded him of her naturally sweet scent. If a female was particularly disagreeable to mating, a male might use flowers that promoted relaxation.

She c.o.c.ked a brow at him. "Your ancestors used flowers to drug women into mating with them?"

He chuckled and ma.s.saged her foot. "That's one way of looking at it. A male would never take a female against her will. He might kidnap her and keep her in seclusion, but he would have been certain that she was meant for him before he began his seduction." Returning her foot to the water, he lifted her other foot. "How am I doing so far?"

"I'm thoroughly seduced." Her eyelids fluttered shut as he worked on her leg, and he grinned. Nothing about casting the truemate spell had gone the way he thought it would, but he couldn't be happier.

"Do all fae cast the truemate spells?"

"No. Normally, if a fae hasn't found his mate by the time he or she reaches twenty-five, they'll cast the truemate spell. It's considered strange for a male or female not to cast the spell in their twenty-fifth year."

"So you not doing it was weird?"

He nodded. "Because I had no plans to cast the spell, my mom sent females to me, hoping one of them would end up being my mate. A fae mother can choose her son's mate if she feels he's neglecting his duty to mate and bear young."

"Like an arranged marriage?"

"Something like that. But she didn't ask me what I wanted, or she would have known that I wanted the female meant to belong to me and my wolf."

She hummed in her throat. "I think in the old days, wolves traveled a lot more, looking for their truemates. But now, wolves will settle down with someone they love regardless of whether that person is their truemate or not."

He frowned. "Sounds like the wolf wouldn't care for that."

"I've heard that the wolves will never feel truly content, but they will settle into the mating eventually. I think," she paused for only a moment, "I think that I would have done that if someone had actually wanted me. I would have settled into a mating that wasn't right for me just because I thought it was what I needed. It scares me to think about what might have been, what I would have lost out on."

"I could have accepted one of the females my mother sent for me and settled, too. In a way I'm grateful that she pushed me so often because it made me willing to take my future into my own hands."

"Why didn't you spell for me when you turned twenty-five?"

"I was so wrapped up in being the best soldier I could be, following in my dad's footsteps, that I didn't think I had time for a mating. I didn't care about my personal life. I just wanted my career to be as amazing as my dad's. He reminded me that the only way I could get my mom to stop trying to choose my mate was to spell for her myself. I felt like I needed to wait until the full moon to do it. I don't know why."

"Maybe your wolf knew I would need you."

"If I hadn't waited, though, you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

She smiled, and it made his heart clench. "I've already forgotten everything but waking up to your gorgeous face."

A blush crept into his cheeks and she chuckled at his embarra.s.sment. It pleased him that his mate thought he was handsome, but he wasn't used to being on the receiving end of such praise. He had accolades for his skill in battle, but somehow, knowing that she liked how he looked made all that seem unimportant.

After he had covered every bit of her creamy skin with the oil, they made love on their towels on the gra.s.s and then ate the meal he had brought in front of the fire stones. As the sky darkened outside the cave, they made love again on the bed and drifted off to sleep, secure in each other's arms.

In the morning, Lindy straightened outside the cave and looked wistfully back inside. "I really loved being here, Crimson. Thank you for sharing it with me."

He felt a pang of sadness at leaving, too. He'd never felt closer to another person than he did to Lindy, and being in the cave's seclusion, he could see why his ancestors had chosen this method of seduction. He'd been wanting to seduce her, but she'd ended up seducing him thoroughly, too. He couldn't imagine ever being apart from her.

He left the protection spell off the cavern and flew them home. To leave the cave protected when he had no idea when they would use it again was a foolish waste of power. The torches and fire stones were out, and the gra.s.s and bed would eventually wither and die unless a blosomfae like Riyad came to tend to things. He didn't think Riyad would, although he was sure his friend was more of a romantic than he wanted people to believe. While Crimson had grown tired of being a player, Riyad was enjoying himself, and it wasn't for Crimson to say otherwise.

He took Lindy to lunch at the tavern in the glen and introduced her to some of the males who he fought beside. They sat at a small table and both ate warfarers pie filled with roasted grent and vegetables.

Bront came up and clapped him on the shoulder. "Heard about your mate, Captain, very happy for ya."

"Thank you, Bront." Crimson introduced Lindy to the large male.

Bront said with a wink, "I hope you're planning to retire from the infantry; it'd be a shame to leave such a pretty mate at home."

Crimson grimaced when he saw Lindy look at Bront in confusion.

"Retire?"

Bront raised his brows and then said, "Oh, sorry, I thought you knew, miss. Mated males are allowed to step down from the infantry and take less dangerous jobs." He ducked his head, glancing at Crimson in apology, and left quickly.

"I don't understand. You're a warrior. Why wouldn't they want you to still be a warrior?"

"Well..." He poked at the vegetables swimming in the gravy and said, "It's not that I don't want to be in the infantry, ch.e.l.le, it's just that it's a choice that all newly mated males have to make. I told my commander that I wanted to talk to you about it first before I made any decisions. The front lines are dangerous. Before we met, I went up against a huge bird that killed many of my men in a rampage. I've been shot, stabbed, burned, and had a wizard try to kill me with lightning. Mated males have a responsibility first to their mates and children and then in service to their realm. If I stepped down, I'd still be part of the military but in a safer role as a realm guard or possibly a trainer of new recruits."

"Is that what you want?" She looked genuinely curious.

"I knew that when I found my mate my life would change. I don't want to put myself in harm's way when I have you and our future children to take care of."

He explained that realm guards patrolled the streets and borders of the glens, calling in the military when required and handling small issues as they pertained to the safety of the people.

"Is that what you want?" she said.

He raised a brow. "You already asked me that."

"I know, but you didn't answer. Would you be happy as a realm guard? Is that what you want to do for the rest of your life?"

He rolled the question around in his mind and said, "As long as I have you to come home to, I don't really care what my job is. I wouldn't mind patrolling. It's really no different than police in your realm, and being a trainer is an important job, to help shape the future military."

"What if we don't end up staying here in your realm?"

He ate his last bite of pie and put his fork down, reaching across the table to lace his fingers with hers. "Wherever we go, I'll feel the same, ch.e.l.le."

When they returned home, they tumbled into bed for the rest of the afternoon then showered and dressed for dinner. As he expected, she looked incredible in the teal dress he bought for her. Her silky blonde hair hung down her back like a curtain made of gold, and her blue eyes sparkled with happiness.

His father had said he would send a carriage for them, so he was not surprised to see the carriage already waiting for them when he opened the front door to usher Lindy outside. His parents' driver, Laud, stood next to the black carriage and bowed slightly. "It is good to see you again, sir."

"And you, Laud. This is Lindy, my mate."

Lindy greeted Laud, and then Crimson lifted her into the carriage and sat down next to her on the plush bench. With a flick of his wrist, Laud sent the narrow whip into the flanks of his father's ruby-colored stallion, and the carriage pulled away from his home. Lindy was fascinated by the lack of modern things within the realm, and it wasn't the first time that his conscience had panged at how different things would be for her if they chose to live in the Fae Realm. Would she really be happy here, without cars and television and easy contact with her friends and family? Wolves were social creatures by nature - he knew that because he was one - but he wasn't part of a pack because he was the only wulfen around. He'd never really thought about how lonely that made him feel because he'd been caught up in being the best warrior he could be. He mostly ignored his wolf, except for the full moons when he was forced to s.h.i.+ft and hunt or when it benefited him to use his extra senses. He wondered what it would be like to really belong to a pack.

"...is just awesome."

He shook himself from his thoughts when Lindy squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry, ch.e.l.le, what did you say?"

"I said the realm is just awesome. I had no idea there was even another realm, and I'm actually here with you. My mate." She smiled at him, and it was the smile he loved the best. The one that made her eyes crinkle with happiness.

He kissed her temple. "I'm glad you're here with me."

Laud stopped the carriage, and Crimson stepped out of the carriage and helped Lindy down onto the cobblestone walkway in front of his parents' home. His father had built the grand home for his mother, the sprawling stone building a testament to their station.

Lindy peeked up at Crimson and whispered, "I like your house."

"It's yours now, sweetness."

The front door was opened by Juli, the house servant, who bowed deeply as they walked by. "Master is in the kitchen, sir."

"Thank you, Juli." He held Lindy's hand and led her into the house. "My dad isn't much for pomp and circ.u.mstance. He's probably eating out of the pot, which would drive my mom batty if she were here."

"Which is why I don't do it when she's home," his dad said, turning from the stove with a spoon full of chopped vegetables that he ate quickly. He put the spoon down on the marble counter and wiped his hands on his trousers. His dad embraced him tightly, patting his back, and then said, "And this must be your mate, Lindy. How lovely you are."

"It's nice to meet you, sir."

"Sir? Are you mad? Call me Dad."

"All right," Lindy laughed, "Dad."

"That's better. You're truemates, and that means we're family. No pretense here."

They ate at the table in the kitchen, and his dad regaled Lindy with tales of his exploits in various wars and some of Crimson's funnier and more embarra.s.sing childhood stories. After dinner, they had cafe, which Lindy said was like cappuccino, on the lanai and talked. He left Lindy out to star gaze and called his dad back into the kitchen, sharing with him that he wanted to mate Lindy according to the old ways.

His dad rubbed his stubble with two fingers. "It's not been done that way in decades, son. It would be good for the glen to see such a union. When would you like to do it?"

"We only have four more days here before we go back to spend a week in her realm. I'd like to have her as my wife before we go back to the Mortal Realm."

His dad's brows rose. "That's pretty quick. And your mother will have to come home early from her spa trip." With a thoughtful look, he called Laud and Juli into the kitchen, and they returned quickly. Clapping Crimson on the shoulder, he said, "My son is going to mate his bride according to the old ways during sunset in two days. Gather servants from the guild and make sure every available hand is working to make this the most memorable mating our glen has ever seen."

"Mom will like that," Crimson said as the two servants hurried away to begin preparations.

"Yes, she will like the spectacle of the thing, but it's not really about her or me. It's about you respecting your bride enough to vow yourself to her according to the old ways. With blood and iron and fire."

Nodding, Crimson felt the sting of tears but fought them back. Then he asked the question that had been on his mind since he had spoken to his commander. "Dad, will you be disappointed if I step down from the infantry?"

The shock on his dad's face told him that the question was completely unexpected. "Why on earth would I be disappointed?"

He fidgeted under his dad's concerned gaze. "Because I'm not going to live up to your name."

"Oh good night, Crimson! Are you serious? I never expected you to do everything that I did. h.e.l.l, if I could go back and do my life over, I would have stepped down from the infantry and spent more time at home." He pressed his hands into Crimson's shoulders and stared straight into his eyes. "I couldn't be more proud of you than I am right at this moment. You've had a wonderful career so far. Finding Lindy isn't the end of your life; it's just the beginning. I have no doubt that you'll continue to impress me and everyone else. Besides, you might find yourself living in the Mortal Realm with your sweet she-wolf, and then the military is definitely out of the picture. You're leading with your heart, Crimson. A father couldn't ask for more than that."

"Thanks, Dad." Crimson spoke the words on a whisper, afraid he was going to lose it and cry. He'd been worried that his dad would be disappointed in his choices, but he shouldn't have. His dad had always been his biggest supporter.

"The moment the healer put you in my arms when you were born, you became the son of my heart. My pride for you knows no bounds."

With a tight hug, his dad smiled at him and left him in the kitchen alone to gather his thoughts while he went out to visit with Lindy. Crimson joined them several moments later, enjoying how easily Lindy fit into his life. Eventually, she couldn't hide her yawns from him, and it was time to head home. Laud drove them, and Lindy fell asleep against Crimson's shoulder. After saying goodbye to Laud, he carried Lindy into his home - their home - and put her to bed.

He had a lot to do in the next two days, but the work was worth it because of Lindy. She was worth everything to him.

Chapter 15.

The following morning, Lindy and Crimson were enjoying breakfast when a woman's voice called from outside.

"Crimson Ta'rek! You invited me to your home to dress your bride, and you left on your protection spell. I'm insulted!"