Kinsley let Mary go, grimacing as he did. Emory knew the pained expression was purely for show. It was a known fact Kinsley could have any female he wanted. The women in his pride lined up for a night in his bed, hoping that perhaps they could reach the heart of the man and keep him as their own.
“So stingy with your good fortune. That’s not nice at all. I only wanted to greet the lass properly.” Before Emory could respond Kinsley bowed and smiled at Mary. “I’m sorry to cut you short, sweetest Mary, but I have to go. It was a pleasure to meet you. Perhaps next time we’ll have the opportunity to sit and chat.”
“Like hell you will,” Emory snarled, watching Kinsley as he left the kitchen. His annoyance increased when he heard Kinsley’s chuckles, aware the arrogant fucker was laughing at him.
“That was rude,” Mary snapped and turned, jabbing a finger into his chest. “You didn’t have to talk to him like that.”
“He had it coming,” Emory replied smoothly, the wolf coming to life in the presence of his mate. He grasped her hand and tugged her to him, bringing them hip to hip. “I don’t share what’s mine. And you’re mine, angel eyes. Only mine.”
Her “oh” was a soft exhale against his mouth, the caress of her breath on his skin a temptation he couldn’t resist. He lowered his head and captured her lips with his. She sighed, going soft in his arms, placing her hands on his shoulders. When she invited him to take the kiss further, parting her lips in offering, he accepted with a smooth glide of his tongue. She tasted of mint toothpaste, the flavor mingling with Mary’s own sweetness. Then another scent came to him, this one flooding his nose.
Arousal.
Pulling away, he gazed into Mary’s flushed face. He knew she had to be tired and ravenous after completing two stages of the bloodbond. “What would you like to eat? I’ll make it for you.” He combed his fingers through her hair, fascinated by the long, soft strands that slid along his palm like silk.
“You’ll cook for me?” She trailed her fingers down to his chest, stopping when she came to his nipples. Mimicking what he’d done to her earlier, she rotated her thumb around the sensitive skin.
Sexy little minx. “Of course.”
Angling her head to the side, she peered at him through her thick lashes and whispered, “What if I said I’m not hungry for food?”
His cock went from zero to sixty, flaccid one second and flagpole stiff the next. “I’d say you’d better eat while you can.” Grasping the hair at her nape, he pulled her head back. “Once I take you back upstairs, we’re going to be there awhile.”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The honeyed scent of her pussy increased, drowning him in Mary’s succulent fragrance. He knew it wasn’t the time or place to indulge his mate but the lust in her eyes was almost enough to make him sling her over his shoulder and storm from the kitchen to their bedroom.
“How about a grilled cheese with tomato soup?” he asked, voice strained, his cock throbbing miserably.
The lust in her eyes abated and her stomach growled. “That sounds good, actually.”
After placing a chaste kiss on her forehead, he guided her to the table. “Take a seat.”
“What happened to Ava?” She sat and rested her elbows on the table, squirming in her chair. He swallowed a groan, wishing she was in his lap instead, the soft curves of her ass wriggling against his swollen erection, gliding around and around and then up and down…
Food, asshole. Not sex. It’s time to feed her, not fuck her.
He collected the soup from a shelf beside the stove and reached for the pan on the rack hanging from the ceiling. Terrifying Mary wasn’t an option, so he kept the important details to himself. “We’re not sure. Diskant thinks he knows where she is. The pack just left.”
“Was that all the noise I heard? How many of you are there? It sounded like an army invaded the place.”
“A couple dozen inside the city at any given time,” he answered, trying to keep on track, cursing the memories of his mate naked beneath him because they made him think with the wrong head.
“That many?”
The fear and crack in her voice had him turning to face her. “There are more, actually.”
“More?” She gulped, brown eyes expanding as her face became a ghostly shade of white.
In three steps he was at her side. He kneeled at her feet. “You’re safe here. If knowing I would die for you isn’t enough to reassure you, Diskant put you under his protection. No one would dare touch you. They value their lives too much.” He paused and added, “And you’re pack now. My mate.”
“It’s so strange,” she murmured and reached out, touching his cheek. “Like a dream that doesn’t end.”
Catching her hand in his, he brought her knuckles to his mouth and brushed his lips across them. “Does this feel like a dream, angel eyes?”
“No,” she breathed.
He scented her excitement, her desire traveling from his nose to his cock. Closing his eyes, he imagined tossing her on the table, tearing off her clothes and taking her just as she was. Her lush breasts would bounce with each thrust and her whimpers of delight would fill his ears. When she was near climax he’d change his movements, moving nice and slow, watching as his cock slid in and out of the pink folds of her pussy.
“Well, hello.”
Nathan’s voice didn’t do anything to quench Emory’s lust but Mary was an entirely different matter. In a split second tension filled the air. The peppery fragrance of anxiety pierced his nose, followed by the burning scent of her fear. He rose to his feet and turned to greet their visitor, wanting to put Mary at ease.
“This is Nathan,” he said and smoothed back a strand of hair that had fallen over her temple. “He’s the pack Beta. Diskant’s first in command.”
“Hi,” Mary whispered and clutched Emory’s wrist.
Nathan walked over and extended his hand. “It’s wonderful to meet you finally. Emory’s told us so much about you.”
Slowly, Mary’s fingers loosened around Emory’s arm. She reached out, the motion cautious, and accepted Nathan’s gesture of welcome. The moment they touched, Emory knew Nathan was absorbing her fear, taking it into himself. It was his gift as Beta of the pack, to keep those under stress in control. Due to their newly formed bloodbond, Nathan was able to establish a connection with Mary through Emory’s wolf. Although she didn’t have the final mark, she had enough of his beast inside her to establish a link. Mary’s shoulders relaxed. She lifted her head, giving Nathan one of the rare smiles Emory had missed.
“Nice to meet you.”
Nathan nodded, let her go and stepped back. Then he turned to Emory. “There are more than three dozen numbers. I called half. Those I couldn’t contact I left messages with. I wanted to let you know that I have things covered.” He glanced down at Mary, his eyes revealing a small trace of envy. “Take care of your girl and get her settled.”
“I’ll do that,” Emory replied, stroking the back of Mary’s head. “Thanks.”
Another quick look at Emory’s mate revealed Nathan’s longing, his wish for a female of his own. “Don’t mention it.”
“He’s nice,” Mary said softly when Nathan exited the kitchen.
Emory didn’t think she’d appreciate the knowledge that Nathan had influenced her emotions so he kept the information to himself. “I’m glad you think so. Until we choose a home of our own, you’ll see a lot of him.”
“A home of our own?” Those brown eyes of hers widened as her pupils dilated.
“What did you think? That we’d stay here forever?” She shrugged and he laughed. “When things blow over, me and you are going to comb the city until you find the one place that suits you.”