Taming his Mate (Black Hills Wolves, #8)(9)

“You alright?” He scanned her features, searching for any sign of discomfort. Thank ever-loving God she gifted him with a smile that damn near made his heart flip over in his chest.

“Aren’t you supposed to move?”

Despite the tension running through him, he laughed. He tucked his arms beneath her, holding her against his chest as he eased out of her, then slid back into her welcoming warmth. She made a low hum of pleasure.

He trailed his lips over her jaw. “Give me your mouth, Sunshine.”

Kate lifted her head and melded her mouth to his. His tongue delved past her lips as he found a steady rhythm. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rocked awkwardly beneath him, while he continued to pump in and out of her *, each thrust longer and harder than the last.

“Yes. Oh, God, yes.” The husky sound of her voice shot straight to his balls.

After all the years of waiting for his mate, this one f*cking moment was everything. Nothing else compared to the feel of her silken heat wrapped around his cock.

“Slip your hand between us. Touch yourself for me.”

She did as he requested, easing her hand between their writhing bodies until she reached her clit. With each caress, her fingertips grazed his length while he slipped in and out of her. And damn if it wasn’t the most erotic thing he’d ever experienced in his life.

For once, he abandoned control and allowed himself to let go and revel in the wild, untamed beauty of his mate. Latching onto throat, he sucked and nipped at the sensitive skin as his thrusts became more forceful. Her * rippled along his cock, signaling she was close to her release. When he thought he couldn’t wait any longer, her back arched, pushing her breasts firm against his chest, and she splintered apart in his arms.

Instinct drove him to put his mark on her, to possess her for once and for all. His canines lengthened into two twin sets of sharp points. With one final hard thrust, he buried himself deep inside his mate and sank his teeth into her shoulder, marking her as his own for the rest of their lives. Once his teeth penetrated the soft flesh, he clutched her tight to his frame and emptied his seed inside her. Nothing had ever felt more right in his existence.





***





Wavering between euphoria and full-blown panic, Kate panted to catch her breath. She couldn’t believe he’d marked her.

Stephen trembled against her as he crushed her to his body. His teeth slid from her shoulder, and he placed a gentle kiss on his mark.

He nuzzled her neck. “I love you, Sunshine. Always have. Always will.”

The heartfelt words she’d only dreamt of hearing nearly destroyed her.

Oh, God, she couldn’t do this.

She squirmed in his arms until he loosened his hold. He slid from her body, and she winced at the twinge between her thighs. Once free, she jumped from the bed and darted into the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind her.

Kate leaned against the sink and sucked in breath after deep breath, trying to suppress the panic attack threatening to drop her to her knees. Twisting on the cold tap, she threw water on her face to cool her flushed cheeks.

Shit, what had she done?

Her eyes burned with unshed tears, and she hung her head in humiliation. How could she have been so stupid? What the hell could she tell him? Sorry, you’ve mated a worthless shifter who can’t even shift. Hope you don’t hate the hell out of me.

A knock on the door startled her. “Kate, open up.”

Crap, where the hell was she supposed to go? She was in Stephen’s house, holed up in the bathroom like a loser.

“No.” She glared at the door.

“Come on, Sunshine.”

“Go away.”

“Kate, open the door.”

“No!”

“Stand back.”

Before she could respond, the door flew open, banging against the wall. She gaped as Stephen’s naked form filled the doorway.

His brows were furrowed over his gleaming eyes. He marched forward and grabbed her upper arms in a gentle but firm grip. It was then she comprehended anger hadn’t driven him to break through the door. It was concern.

“What’s wrong? You bolted out of bed. I thought I’d hurt you.”

“I….”

“Christ, Kate. You’re killing me. You always run from me. Me. Your mate. For once, just tell me what the hell I’m doing wrong, so I can fix it.”

If he’d spoken the words in anger, she could’ve found her backbone and snapped at him. Instead, his words were that of a man at his wit’s end.

“You shouldn’t have marked me.” Her voice shook.

He jerked his head back is if she’d slapped him, and his face twisted with a dark scowl. “Why not? You’re mine. I’m yours. You gave yourself to me. I just felt you come apart in my arms. How can you stand here and tell me I shouldn’t have claimed you as my own?”

“Because I can’t shift!”





Chapter Six





Stephen’s grip fell away from Kate’s arms, and he took a hesitant step backward. Kate’s heart wrenched, and she almost screamed at the distance he placed between them. She’d imagined his reaction a hundred times over, but the reality hurt far worse.

Brows furrowed, he averted his gaze, studying the tile floor beneath her feet. In an almost absent manner, he rubbed the nape of his neck. Just when Kate couldn’t stand his reticence any longer, he dropped his arm against his bare thigh and lifted his gaze to hers.