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Chapter Nineteen

CHOMP

W e have to be clean for our mate, my gator bellows. I will jump in the lake before we ask her to bathe with us! She doesn’t need to see bloody water, Chomp.

His antics have me grinning so when Ariel looks up at me, she asks, “What has you smiling, Chomp?”

“My gator. He wants to spoil you and bathe with you, but with me being a bit… bloody, he’s worried it’ll bother you. He thinks he should jump in the lake first. Quite honestly, he’s besotted with you, my mate,” I reply.

She giggles then reaches up and cups my face in her hands. “Gator? I think you’re the handsomest, strongest alligator I’ve ever seen. You’re an amazing protector, and I want you to know I appreciate your efforts to show me how much you care. I see you, Gator.”

Oh my God! She’s talking to me ! Gator’s voice is almost high-pitched in my head. His excitement adds to mine.

“Ariel,” I groan out, my heart overflowing with emotions I’ve long ago pushed deep inside. “Let me clean off in the lake so he doesn’t have a heart attack, then I’d like to bathe with you. It’s something I need, and it doesn’t have to go any further if you’re not ready.”

“Chomp, I want to be yours in all ways. I don’t know how I’ll react, but as long as you’re patient with me, I think I’ll be just fine,” she assures me, easing some of my worry.

I don’t have time to dwell on her words because I back up, shifting at Gator’s insistence. He does a couple of spins and a flip before making a beeline for the shore, submerging as fast as he can. I feel his urgency as we dive deep, slicing through the water and rolling once we’re deep enough. Gator is feeling a bit excited, so we continue to roll along the bottom of the lake, stirring up the sediment until the water is cloudy and hard to see.

When I remind him our mate is waiting, he shoots through the murky depths and pops the surface, immediately checking the shore. And there she is, our beautiful Ariel, waiting with a humored smile that shows a dimple in one cheek.

I’m on the shore, shifting back, and nearly running to her as water drips from my skin. I’m naked, but it doesn’t faze me. Ariel? She gets an eye full of my package before I scoop her up and dash inside the house. Her giggle feels light and unencumbered, confirming the worst of the past is behind her.

Now, if I can just make her come, maybe I can begin to erase all the horror and pain she’s suffered. I know just how to get her to relax, too. After all, this isn’t my first time giving her a bath. I just plan to join my mate and make her feel good in the process.

Not a drill, not a drill, not a drill , my gator chants as we head to the bathroom.

I gently set her on her feet then turn to start the water in the tub. Once I’m sure that it’s not too hot, I push the stopper in so it can fill. “I have a bath bomb I bought for you,” I admit as I turn to the linen closet. “I also got you your own loofah brush, as well as the shampoo and conditioner you prefer.”

“Chomp, you didn’t have to go to so much trouble,” she says. I notice her skin is flushed and she’s avoiding looking at my dick, which is fully erect and bouncing against my lower abdomen.

Hiding my smile, I put the bath bomb in the tub, then grab two fluffy towels to put on the towel warmer that Kodiak came over and installed for me. He said something about mates liking their towels toasty. Since I agree that her comfort is paramount, I let him come over and put it up.

We play her game for now, avoiding direct eye contact, but as soon as we’re both in the water, I’ll snag her gaze. I ensure there’s plenty of bubbles before I turn and find her already naked. She’s been sneaky, slowly dropping her clothes so I didn’t notice. Now that I do, I seem to grow harder, anticipating my mate’s desires and needs. I see the old scars her body bears, and it breaks my heart that she endured that pain. Once again, I vow to make her remaining time on this earth a beautiful one.

No more pain. No more scars. Just beauty and happiness. One day, I’ll ask if she wants to cover them with tattoos, but not today. Today is for us; Ariel and Chomp.

And children , my gator adds. And if she has boys, we will not fight them.

Ariel swallows loudly as I reach for her hand. “This is just us, my mate. Me and you. No need to be nervous. We go at your pace.”

I see her teeth nibbling on her bottom lip. “Okay.”

She steps into the water with a soft sigh, submerging to her breasts as she rests against the tub. For a few seconds, I take my fill, staring at this gorgeous woman who owns my heart and tamed a wild gator. My heart speeds up, and I know it’s because she’s nervous and excited, which affects my own heart rate. I take a mental picture, storing it in my mind because it’s one I never want to forget.

“May I wash you?” I ask, trying not to growl the words.

She smells ready, my gator informs me. Yes!

She does. I sense and scent her arousal and willingness. It’s almost too much for me and my gator. We’re holding back, and it’s for her, but it’s also agony.

Ariel lifts her hand, inviting me closer. “Join me.”

I never had to ask. My chest puffs with pride at the progress she’s made, and step into the tub. Water sloshes over the side, but I placed extra towels to catch the overflow, so I’m not worried about a mess. I’d gladly clean for days if it meant enjoying this moment with Ariel.

I don’t hesitate to sit with my back against the tub’s edge and pull her between my legs. She rests against me, facing outward, and the wicked thoughts that enter my head are carnal and lust-filled. “Rest your head back. Relax.”

She listens. Her obedience and trust fill my heart to overflowing.

I pick up the loofah and pour soap into it, reaching for her arm. With care, I begin to wash her, going slow, but also making it clear that I plan to do her entire body.

“That feels nice,” she murmurs. Hearing the breathiness of her voice tells me I’m doing it right.

I finish both arms and move to her neck, dragging the loofah over her shoulders and neck, then move to her breasts, taking care to cleanse them before I massage the globes, teasing her as I hold the sponge in one hand and play with her nipples with the other.

Gyrating, she begins to make breathy noises that only encourage me further. I pull the loofah below the water’s surface and brush it across her belly before dipping between her silky thighs. When I touch her center, she jolts. That’s when I pause because I know it’s a big adjustment.

“Breathe,” I remind her. “It’s you and me. Just us, my mate.”

She reaches for the loofah and takes it from me, flinging it to the corner as I chuckle. “I want you to touch me. Right here. Show me what tenderness feels like, Chomp.”

My heart nearly stutters. I want to give her everything. Be all that she’ll ever desire or need.

Don’t screw this up, Chomp , my gator hisses.

My fingers gently part her folds, sliding through the slick arousal I can tell apart from the bath water. She wants me, and it’s all the encouragement I need apart from her permission. I touch her clit first, gliding over the sensitive bundle of nerves as her breath catches. “How does that feel?” I ask, slowly rubbing in a circle.

“Good.”

“And this?” I slide a finger down until I’m at the entrance to her pussy, pushing the single digit inside.

“Oh,” she gasps.

I begin to glide in and out, adding another finger. If I had her on the bed, I’d be feasting on her pussy at the same time, licking and sucking her clit until she came on my lips. And it’ll happen soon, whether it’s tonight or not.

I know she’s enjoying it when her hips begin to move, pumping into my fingers as I continue filling her. I angle my hand so that I can thrust into her while I use the other to strum her sweet spot. I’m agonizingly hard, like fucking granite, and my control is being tested. Fuck. Every little breath and sigh, each moan is etching itself into my brain. I want to memorize every fucking sound she makes when she’s turned on and coming. I need to be inside her and feel the silken walls of her pussy clench around me.

We need to mate her! Now! My gator insists.

Lust is fogging my brain, but it’s the urgency I feel to complete my bond with Ariel that’s driving me the hardest. I can feel my fingers twitching and my claws fighting to come out. The feral need to give her my mark and my cum is pressing on me hard. My gator is about to lose this battle, and we both know it has to be consensual to mate.

Ariel’s hands grip my arms as water sluices over the edge of the tub. Our bodies are moving in tandem as my fingers plunge and her cry of ecstasy fills the room. I feel her clamp down on my fingers, and I’m not the least bit ashamed when I release a little of my seed into the tub with her. It’s nothing compared to how much I’ll fill her with soon, but it takes off the edge, helping me focus on her and her pleasure again.

I’ve never wanted a woman as badly as I want Ariel right now.

She trembles in my arms and then turns as I slide my fingers from her, ready for whatever she needs. It’s her kiss that surprises me as her arms wrap around my shoulders, sliding upward to bury in my hair. The feel of her soft breasts pressing to my chest is euphoric. We kiss for long minutes, tasting one another, tangling our tongues, and feeling a connection that solidifies our bond.

Her legs straddle my waist. One thigh rests over each side of my hips. When her hot core and warm lips are both connecting with me, I groan. This is fucking heaven.

Mate her! Gator bellows.

“Chomp?”

“Yes, my mate?” I answer without hesitation as our lips remain close, brushing together as she speaks.

“I want to go all the way. Right now.”

“You’re sure?”

She nods.

“But I think I want to stay like this. Right here in the water.”

“Where you’re in control and on top,” I guess.

“Yes.”

“Then take my cock, mate. Fuck me. Use me. I’m all yours.”

Yes! Yes! Finally! My gator’s voice is so loud in my head I almost miss Ariel’s smile.

“You’re so big. I hope you fit.” She nibbles on her bottom lip, and I swear that little gesture drives me wild every time she does it. “I really want this.”

Good. She keeps saying it, and I hope she’s not trying to convince herself. I want her to be willing and ready in every way. It must show on my face because she cups my whiskered cheeks.

“There’s no hesitation. Being with you feels right.”

“Then sink down on my cock, mate. Let’s end the wait.”

Ariel nods and then rises up, lining herself up over the tip of my dick as she grasps my erection. It’s enough to make me jizz right there, but I fight for control, groaning when she lowers and begins feeding my cock inside her. She’s tight, warm, and soft. I can feel how I stretch her as she hisses. By the time I’m fully seated, she’s panting.

I’m having a heart attack, my gator whispers. She feels so good, my heart is going to beat out of my chest.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, I can’t help but smirk at his antics. We’ve both been waiting forever it seems for just this moment and now that it’s happening, it’s not like I can exclude him, but damn, I wish he’d just luxuriate in how fantastic we feel with her wrapped around our cock.

I think it can’t get better, and then she begins to move. With her hands on my shoulders, she bounces and rolls her hips. Until this moment, I didn’t think it was possible to die from pleasure. But now, with my heart racing, I think it’s fucking probable. But I will never leave my mate. She needs me, and we have a life together that’s already becoming more than I ever dreamed.

Ariel moans as I grasp her hips and move her in time with my thrusts. Leaning forward, my tongue laves at each of her breasts, flicking her nipples into hard peaks. We’re grinding into one another; lost in the sensations we’re sharing. Our bodies are in perfect sync, and I've never felt anything as incredible as this woman and her love.

She’s so fucking tight and her walls flutter around my cock. I know she’s getting close. Her chest flushes, and her eyes nearly roll back in her head. Ariel’s full, sensual lips part and I can see her pulse beating hard as I glimpse the artery in her neck. She’s delicate, but also so fucking fierce. The perfect mate for a gator.

She IS perfect! he agrees. She’ll give us offspring. We’ll finally have our own hatchlings!

Not quite. Ariel won’t be laying eggs. But still, having our young will mean fatherhood and completeness. Our mate is a miracle.

Mark her! My gator insists. We need to do it. Now!

He’s right. There’s no better moment than right now. I feel my claws begin to grow, lengthening, and cutting through my skin to wrap around Ariel’s hips. Her thighs shake as her orgasm approaches. I time it, knowing the perfect moment I’ll mark her wrist.

Water sloshes around us, and I know we’ve soaked the floor as well as the towels. I don’t care. If it means being buried deep in my woman, I’ll deal with a ruined floor later.

When Ariel’s pussy contracts and begins milking my cock, that’s when my claws bury deep in her wrist. My mouth covers hers and swallows her scream, which terrifies me because I don’t know if I hurt her. I’m torn between the best orgasm I’ve ever had as I shudder, pumping my cock and filling her as I feel jets of my cum enter her sweet cunt, and worrying it’s too much. She greedily takes it, writhing against me as she accepts all I have to give her.

When I finally feel my claws recede, I dare to look at her wrist. A part of me feared I’d see blood in the water and her lacerated wrist. I’d have lost my shit if I drew blood. I didn’t. There’s a triple slash mark on her wrist, and it’s already fading from an angry red to a silvery white on her fair skin. Wow.

It’s beautiful, my gator sniffles. She’s ours forever now.

That’s the last thought in my head before I begin to shake, my cock sliding free from Ariel as I groan. My wrist is burning, and I lift it to stare at the mating mark that’s a perfect replica of the one on Ariel’s wrist. Three slashes. The gator’s claws.

Ariel stares at me with wonder as she sees it. “You’re mine too.”

That’s the sweetest three words she’s ever said. Only ‘I love you’ will ever mean as much.

“We’re mated,” I reveal, pulling her closer so I can possess her mouth. And if I have anything to do with it, we’re not gonna be done in this tub for a long while.