Trey searched all their faces. “I take it this means none of you are opposed to this. Not that it’ll make any difference, but I’d prefer it if you were all good with it.”
Dante stood and then dropped to one knee, head bowed. Marcus copied the move. Then Ryan, Trick, Dominic, Grace, Lydia, Cam, Rhett, Tao, and finally Brock.
“No, guys, please don’t,” said Taryn. But they remained where they were like white knights and it freaked her out. “Come on, get up.” She nudged Trey. “Tell them to get up.”
“They’re acknowledging us as their Alpha pair, offering us their loyalty.”
“Well they can be loyal standing up.”
Trey turned to his grandmother who looked like a sulking child. “Greta?”
“This sort of thing wouldn’t have happened in my day,” said Greta. “When I met your grandfather we were both virgins. You can’t tell me she was one.”
Taryn smiled. “Well of course you were. It was expected back in 1465.”
“And it’s not natural how much…um…intimate relations you have. We might be shifters but we’re not animals. It’s disgusting.”
Trey groaned. “How about we skip the insults and just get to the point.”
“I’m not getting down on one knee,” she spat.
“But you accept this, we have your loyalty as your Alpha pair?” he pressed.
She gave him a tiny nod then hissed at Taryn. “But she’s still a hussy. And just you remember, hussy, he’s my grandson.” With that, she marched out of the room mumbling about latent wolves, sarcastic females and men who were led around by their penises.
“Right,” began Trey as he picked Taryn up, wrapping her legs around his waist, “then we’ll see you guys later because we have some celebratory sex to do.”
“Okay but, Taryn,” said Dominic, “if it doesn’t work out with him well…I’m no Fred Flinstone, but I sure can make your bed rock.” He chuckled at everyone’s groans.
Trey of course growled and then strode out of the living area with wide, determined strides.
“We’ve just done the deed twice outside!” she reminded him.
“You know I’m always good to go again when it comes to you, baby.”
“It’ll only ever be me from now on, got that?”
“Same goes for you. I told you, there’ll be no other cocks inside you but mine.”
“Glad we understand each other.”
Finally in the bedroom he literally dumped her on the bed and then tackled his fly. “I have a feeling the sex will be even better now that we’re partially bonded. Let’s find out.”
It turned out that it was even better. Trey had felt her pleasure, sensed as it rose, which had then intensified and amplified his own until he came so hard he almost passed out. What made it even better was that he not only knew but could feel that it was more than sex for her, could feel how much she cared for him.
He’d never thought of himself as a lovable person, and yet this amazing female actually loved him. She didn’t say it aloud for the same reason that she never begged – she feared being completely vulnerable to him. Similarly, he feared being completely vulnerable to her. He suspected that for as long as that fear existed for both of them, the bond wouldn’t be complete.
At one time he would have thought that wouldn’t be such a bad thing – if their relationship fucked up and they separated it would be easier for both of them if they weren’t completely tied to one another. But he had no plans to ever let this female leave him, and he wanted all of her even as he feared giving her the same. Yeah that was bad and if he’d had a fully developed conscience then maybe he would have felt crap about it. Or maybe he would always be unapologetically selfish where Taryn was concerned. As he looked at her then lying beside him shuddering, panting and totally naked, he figured that yeah he would.
Later that evening, they all decided to go for a run as a pack. Well, all except for Greta, Kirk, Selma and Hope who were still sulking. Taryn smiled at the feeling of the cool night air on her face as she accompanied the wolves as they loped through the woods, enjoying the sense of belonging and closeness that could only come from running with the pack. Eventually they reached a small clearing where some of the wolves lay down to relax.
The wolf with the salt and pepper fur – Dominic – had other ideas. Cautiously he approached the only jet black wolf – Tao – and bowed down, sticking his rear in the air and wagging his tail, inviting the black wolf to play. The second Tao got close, Dominic bounded away. They playfully growled and released high-pitched dog-like barks as they tussled and chased one another. A grey-black wolf with a white undercoat – Dante – quickly joined the fun, followed by two grey-brown-yellow wolves – Trick and Marcus.
There was a lot of mock fighting, shouldering one another, pouncing, ambushing, bumping bodies together, jaw wrestling, and attempting to grab each other by the scruff of the neck. From where she was lying on her side on the ground beside two white-grey wolves – Grace and Rhett – Taryn rolled her eyes at the sight of Cujo and another wolf peeing on rocks and trees. It was typical of Trey and Ryan to not join in the fun and, instead, spend the time leaving scent markers to warn away strange wolves. She doubted either of the oh-so-serious males even knew how to enjoy themselves.
It wasn’t long before said serious males trotted over to her. Ryan was beautiful as a wolf. His fur was predominantly black but his face, neck, and the insides of his ears were all a creamy blonde. His posture and tail was low as he approached and licked her jaw. Then he loped off, leaving her with Cujo who rubbed his cheeks against hers and then repeatedly licked her face. When she ran her fingers through his dense, coarse fur he settled down beside her to further enjoy the contact.
She couldn’t help smiling at the sight of her mate, her pack, her wolves – things she hadn’t really expected to ever have. Finally she had a place where she belonged, where she could be happy, and where she had the feeling that she ‘fit’. Now all she had to do was make sure that asshole Darryl Coleman didn’t take it all away from her.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The one thing Taryn had always known would be annoying about being mated was that having such an intense connection to someone meant there were no secrets. Not that Taryn had any huge dark secrets or anything, but there were little itty bitty ones that she would have preferred to keep to herself.
Like this for example – Taryn had to come to love waking up with Trey’s big body practically cocooning her. It made her feel safe, sheltered, secure. It also made her feel a little dumb and feeble. She was an Alpha for God’s sake and yet she loved being cuddled and protected. It felt like a weakness. If Trey woke up now and tapped into what she was feeling, he would know that. By God, if he teased her about it she’d kick his balls so hard they ended up in his throat.
It was still hard getting her head around the fact that they were true mates. In fact, it wasn’t so much that. It was just the way everything seemed to have happened at once; realizing she loved him, hearing he cared about her, and then suddenly discovering that what she’d grown up believing was bullshit and that she and Trey were true mates – all in the space of twenty-four hours.
And now she was mated. Now she had that deep connection to someone that she had always dreamt of having – that every shifter dreamt of having. Casting a shadow over that, however, was the heavy sensation that was saddling her chest. Guilt. Guilt that she could be so happy to be wrong about Joey.
She had sensed that Trey wasn’t experiencing that guilt. Finding out that Taryn was his true mate had brought him nothing but masculine satisfaction and a sense of peace. She knew what she needed to do if she was to have that same peace, and she planned to do it after breakfast. The feel of him nuzzling her hair broke into her thoughts.