Page 17 of Curvy Hostage Mate (Gold Wolves Black Ops #4)

My mind went deliciously blank as I locked my legs around Chris’s waist, each of his thrusts sending new spasms of pleasure and lust radiating through me.

I let out a loud moan of satisfaction as he continued ravishing me.

My toes curled, and my muscles seemed to coil and tighten with every passing moment.

I hadn’t realized how badly I needed this until he’d kissed me.

He slammed into me, his cock filling me over and over again, somehow not missing a stroke even while he held onto me.

My fingers dug into his arms as my back began to arch, every thrust sending me closer to oblivion.

My toes curled on reflex as my mind continued to not think of anything at all, blissfully silent after weeks of anxiety with every passing thought.

All of the problems plaguing us right now—Cain, an unanticipated pregnancy, all the uncertainties of the future—none of it seemed to matter anymore, at least not for this moment.

His mouth pressed against mine, and I relished the taste.

His pumps grew more fervent, more desperate, and I knew my moans were growing more high-pitched as I could feel myself tumbling toward oblivion.

It was as if he knew everything that would make me melt at his touch.

My breathing grew ragged, and I could hear his growing uneven as well. For a few moments, everything was okay.

One final thrust, and I shattered. I screamed into the silent woods as relief and ecstasy washed over me, my legs tightening around him as I continued riding that wave.

His mouth slammed against mine, smothering the scream as his pumps grew more earnest, more frantic.

A moment later, I felt him finish inside me.

His own pumps slowed as his lips moved from mine. His eyes searched my face, as if waiting to see how I would respond. I smiled, and he smiled back.

We stayed like that for a long time, him still inside me as the sounds of the woods came flooding back to us.

After a moment, I said, “We should probably go back.”

“Yeah,” he said hoarsely. But he didn’t move immediately. Eventually, though, he slowly, almost reluctantly, lowered me to the forest floor. We gathered our clothes in silence and went back to the cabin.

***

When I woke the next morning, Chris wasn’t in the bed.

The events of the day before came back to me through the haze of sleep while tantalizing smells came from the other room.

Deciding to push concerns about the day before out of my head for now, I crawled out of bed and pushed the door open to reveal a kitchen table laden with eggs, bacon, and pancakes.

Chris stood at the stove, turning when he heard me. “Morning,” he said.

I raised my eyebrows as I looked at the mouthwatering spread. “I didn’t know you cooked.”

“It’s the way I relax,” he said. He nodded at the food. “Eat your fill. You should keep up your strength.”

I hesitated, glancing down at my body without saying anything. He saw, though, and his expression darkened. He placed the spatula down and came to stand in front of me.

“You are beautiful,” he said. “You always have been, and you always will be. That’s not something you need to worry about.”

My face flushed, and I gave a small, almost timid smile. Despite myself, I believed him. He really did think I was beautiful. For whatever reason, the concept felt bizarre. But I decided to accept it as he returned my smile and gave me a quick kiss on the forehead.

“If not for that, then you should eat because we’re going to have a busy day ahead. We’re heading out after this.”

I frowned, staring at him as unease crawled along my spine. I stared at him with gnawing unease. “Is it Cain?” I asked. “Did he find me?”

He shook his head. “Nothing like that. This is a good thing. I promise.”

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Somewhere I should have taken you a long time ago,” he said with a grin. “You’ll like it. Truth me.”

He refused to give any more details beyond that for the rest of the morning. Whenever I asked about it, he just gave an amused smirk before shaking his head and not answering anything else.

Eventually, though, he guided me out of the house.

He tucked his clothes into a special backpack shifters often used to carry their clothes, then transformed into his great wolf.

No longer feeling that shred of hesitation I encountered the first time I saw him, I clambered onto his back, gripping tight as he got back to his feet and took off.

We came to an elegant house tucked away in the woods on the side of a mountain.

Not small, but not massive, either. Gray stone and wood.

Nestled amongst the trees like it was, it reminded me of a fairy tale.

Chris deposited me, grabbed the bag of clothes, then dipped into the woods, appearing a moment later fully clothed.

“Is this your house?” I asked.

He gave an amused snort. “Nah, I don’t have this good taste. Mine isn’t bad, but it’s a shack compared to this.” He jerked his head toward the entrance and guided me over.

“Are you going to tell me who we’re meeting yet?” I asked as he rang the doorbell.

He turned to look at me, mild surprise playing on his face as he regarded me with interest. “I thought you would have guessed by now,” he said with a triumphant smirk.

My brow furrowed, then my eyes widened as I figured out who it was a split-second before the door flew open, and her eyes locked on me. Tall, slender, bright red hair, gray eyes, and our mother’s pointed nose.

“Oh, thank God!” Kendra flung her arms around me and pulled me tight against her. “You’re okay.”

I was too stunned for words. Kendra. Here. After all these months. My mouth opened and closed in shock, relief, and joy. All I could do was tighten my own grip and hold onto her for dear life, trying to convince myself that this was real, that it was Kendra. Right here. Hugging me.

“I’ve been so worried,” Kendra said, her voice a strained sob.

She didn’t relinquish me for another long minute, and when she did, she still held tight to my shoulders as she stepped back to get a look at me, glancing at me up and down as if making sure it was really me.

For one terrifying second, I thought her eyes lingered on my stomach, and I scrambled to figure out how I would talk about the baby.

But if she had figured it out or noticed the change in my scent, she didn’t say anything.

Instead, she murmured, “I’m so, so sorry.”

My brow furrowed in genuine confusion as I studied her. “Sorry? For what?”

“For abandoning you back there,” she said, guilt and grief flooding her face. “I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt you or leave you. I didn’t—”

“You didn’t have a choice,” I interrupted her, giving her a stern look.

“We both know that none of what happened down there was your fault, so don’t try and make it.

Cain would have set his sights on me at one point or another.

And anyway, if we hadn’t tried to escape, you wouldn’t have gotten free in the first place. ”

“I didn’t want to get out without you,” she said.

“We’re both out now,” I said. “That’s all that matters.”

I didn’t know if she knew about Cain, or any of the other issues plaguing that whole mess of a situation. If she knew about him still lurking around, she didn’t say anything. I wasn’t going to be the one to put those thoughts in her head.

She beamed and hugged me again, then turned to Chris. “Thanks for bringing her here,” she told him.

“Well, she kept begging me to come,” Chris said with a grin. “I figured she needed something to cheer her up, considering everything else that had been going on.”

“You and I are going to have some words about not letting me see her until now,” Kendra said.

But I recognized that playful spark, that sass she’d had since we were children.

I had forgotten just how much I missed it.

I gave a broad grin, trying not to let the emotion of seeing my sister again overwhelm me.

Kendra pulled me against her and squeezed again. “Come on,” she said, and pulled me into the house.

The next several hours were just the two of us catching up, Chris off in the kitchen, and giving us privacy as Kendra filled me in on the last several months. It was as if we’d never been apart.

Despite my overwhelming joy at seeing my sister again, I couldn’t enjoy it, not fully.

I knew I needed to tell her about the baby, but the words just wouldn’t come out.

I didn’t know how she would react to the news.

Wasn’t sure I wanted to know. Kendra was incredibly protective, and I wasn’t sure if she would take it upon herself to murder Chris once she found out.

No, she needed to know. And she needed to hear it from me. I hesitated, chewing the inside of my cheek.

“Kendra… there’s something I need to tell you.”

Kendra’s smile faded, but only a little, as she stared at me inquisitively, waiting.

“I’m… um… pregnant,” I said.

She gave a slow nod, her expression unreadable. “I thought you smelled a bit different,” she muttered. “I was going to let you decide if you wanted to tell me or not.” She hesitated. “It’s not Cain’s… is it?”

I shook my head, and Kendra’s entire body seemed to sag in relief. “That’s something at least,” she said. “Then who…” she trailed off, her eyes widening a little as she figured it out. She glanced at the closed door. “Chris?”

I swallowed, mouth a little dry, feeling more than a little self-conscious. “Yeah. It just… sort of happened.”

“Are you okay? Are you safe?”

“I’m okay. I’m safe.” I paused. “And I’m happy. Really, I’m happy.”

Kendra’s face broke into a relieved smile. She pulled me into another bear hug. I doubted she would ever get enough of those for the rest of our lives.

“In that case, I’m ecstatic. I get to be an aunt! I’ll be there to help in whatever way I can, and whatever way you want me to,” she promised.