Page 4 of Hayes (Alpha Daddies #7)

Chapter Three

Hayes wasted no time carrying his mate up the mountain. It was no hardship. In fact, he presumed it was actually easier for him to carry her without knocking her out. She wasn’t dead weight. She held on to him the entire time.

His sweet mate also didn’t show signs of being scared or panicking. Mostly she ignored the rush of trees going by them and stared at his face, her small hands stroking his neck and cheeks the entire time.

Fuck, her scent. It was driving him mad. She smelled like sex. There was no fear lacing it, either. Just need and lust. He’d scented her wet pussy even before the ceremony was over. His own cock had grown hard when she’d swayed into him before his father was finished speaking.

This was not how anyone had described the mating. He’d heard his friends joking about how powerful their bond would be, but no one had told him it would be damn near impossible to get his mate up the mountain and into his house before he claimed her.

The stories from his father, other elders, and his friends had all included a warning that he needed to be patient, that his mate wouldn’t understand her feelings and would need to process them.

He’d been advised to keep his cock in his pants until she was ready.

That could be hours or days. Pressuring her to take him into her body before she was prepared wasn’t a good idea.

And yet, she’d practically climbed him like a little monkey. He suspected she would have ground her sweet pussy against him if she’d been able to spread her legs. The ceremonial dress had hindered her.

He loved the sound of her voice and didn’t mind a bit when she started regaling him with questions. “Is it always like this?”

He knew exactly what she meant. “No, Baby girl. I don’t think so.”

When he glanced at her furrowed brow, he wanted to stroke the wrinkles away with his thumbs. He wouldn’t, though. He needed to hold on to her with both hands. She would never trust him if he lost his footing and dropped her.

It was hard enough to focus on both her and where he was stepping, especially combined with the urge to strip her dress off and fuck her on the forest floor.

He wouldn’t do something like that, of course. But that didn’t mean the urge wasn’t there, consuming him. Perhaps it wouldn’t be as powerful if she weren’t obviously feeling the same way.

Why was his mate so overwhelmingly engrossed with him? This was not something anyone he’d known had ever described. She wasn’t scared or in any way panicked.

“How long until we get to your house?” she asked.

“Not much longer, Little one. And it’s our house.”

She smiled, her smile lighting up the mountain. “What happens when we arrive?”

“Whatever we want, Rylee. There are no rules. I’ll show you around the house. I have dinner in the oven for us when we get hungry.”

Her brow furrowed again. “And then?”

He chuckled. “Baby girl, are you asking me when we’re going to have sex?”

Her cheeks turned a dark pink, and she bit her lip.

He squeezed her tighter. “That’s up to you. We don’t pressure our mates to have sex until they’re ready. For some, that could be a few days.”

Rylee’s mouth fell open as she let out a small gasp. “Days?” Her voice lilted. She was adorable and apparently not interested in waiting days for him to claim her. He didn’t expect her to be. Not based on her scent and the way she clung to him. But he had to offer.

“I don’t suspect we will be waiting that long,” he informed her. As he continued climbing, he stroked the outside of her breast with his thumb, and fuck if his mate didn’t arch her chest and moan, her fingers tightening on his neck.

“You smell so good,” she murmured.

“You do, too, Little one. That’s part of our bond. It’s normal.”

“No one told me it would be like this.”

“No one in the valley knows, Baby girl. Matings among regular shifters in the valley are not as powerful as the bond fated mates feel. The connection between an Alpha Protector and their mate is far stronger.”

“Do you really have a mark on your wrist that matches mine?”

“Identical, Little one. When we line them up and let them touch, we will feel something far more potent than what we already feel.”

Her pretty frown was back. It was a look she got when she was confused. “That doesn’t seem possible.”

“I agree.”

Finally they reached the house. Hayes leaped up the few steps to the porch and opened the door. He meant to carry her through the house and show her around, but she wasn’t having it. Her sweet hands were on his neck again, her lips on his.

Rylee was not in any way bashful, and he was grateful. It was also possible this wasn’t her usual behavior. She might have spent the last twenty years as a far more timid person than she was with him. The pheromones between them were perhaps driving her to act in ways that weren’t her normal.

He was fine with whatever was driving her to plaster her precious body to his and cling to him as though her life depended on it.

She paid zero attention to their surroundings, and he considered setting her bottom on the kitchen island and meeting her gaze. Instead he decided to aim straight for the bedroom.

The grip she had on his neck was stronger than he would have thought possible for someone her size. She didn’t let go as he lowered her onto the mattress, so he climbed over her and continued kissing her, licking and sucking on her tongue and lips until they were both gasping for air.

He had no choice but to break the kiss before they died of oxygen deprivation.

His mate whimpered and squirmed as he stared down at her.

The dress was truly in their way. Thank goodness long, ridiculously modest dresses were not the norm among his people.

She would rarely wear something like this again—not unless they had to make a trip down to the valley for some reason.

Rylee’s hands slid from his neck to his back, where she gripped at him with her fingertips. “Please…”

The soft purr made his cock stiffen further. He needed to talk to her first, explain some things. This was so out of the ordinary that he was concerned. Rising up, he forced her to let go so he could grab her wrists and bring her hands over her head.

Hayes straddled his tiny mate’s waist, held her hands where she couldn’t continue to touch him, and met her gaze.

His actions didn’t scare her a bit. Her arousal shot higher.

“Look at Daddy, Little one.”

She licked her swollen lips and met his gaze. “Daddy?”

“That’s what mates of Alpha Protectors call their men, Baby girl. It’s a term of endearment, much like I will call you Little one or Baby girl.”

“Okay…Daddy.”

He nearly chuckled at her acceptance. “I need to make sure you understand what’s going to happen between us if I claim you right now.”

Her eyes widened. “You say that like you’re not necessarily going to do so.”

He smiled. “Rylee, if you’re ready to take me into your body, then I most definitely will. Don’t you worry. But first, I want to make sure you’re prepared. How much do you know about sex, Little one?”

Her pretty cheeks turned pink. “I understand the gist.”

He lifted a brow. It was difficult not to tease her. “What’s the gist, Baby girl?”

She rolled her pretty blue eyes. “You’re going to take your erection out of your pants and put it in me.”

“Is it that simple?” he asked, trying not to make fun of her.

She shrugged. “I guess.”

“Do you think we’re going to do that with our clothes on?”

Her cheeks darkened. “Uh, maybe?”

He shook his head. “Never, Little one. I’m going to take this dress off you as well as the layers of shifts I’m sure you’re wearing underneath.

When you’re fully naked, I’m going to worship your body with my mouth and my hands.

I’m going to show you what it means to experience pleasure like you’ve never imagined.

While you’re limp and panting, then I will thrust my cock into your pussy. ”

She swallowed. “Your mouth?”

He chuckled. “Yes, Little one. I’m going to taste every inch of you. I’ve wanted to do so from the moment I first scented you before I even entered the ceremonial room.”

She held his gaze, not looking away. “I want to do that to you, too. May I?”

Fuck me . Hayes was stunned. She surprised him every minute. “Yes, Baby girl. If that’s something you want.”

“I could scent you before you entered the room, too, you know.”

He hadn’t known that. He knew his mate would learn to scent him like he did her over time, but he hadn’t expected it to happen while they were still in the ceremonial room or even before he’d entered.

She nodded. “I could. I didn’t hear a word your father said. All I could think about was tasting you.”

He was shocked. She was a dream come true.

“Are you going to take your clothes off, too?” she asked. She was a combination of bold and innocent. The innocence was a result of lack of information. It wasn’t her fault no one had fully explained what to expect. It wasn’t anyone else’s fault either. Her mother and peers hadn’t known.

“Yes, Little one. I’ll take my clothes off, too.”

She grinned, obviously pleased. “I’d like that.”

There was more she needed to understand, though it was damn difficult to ignore the facts and strip her naked. She was practically begging. “After we have sex, your body will prepare for your first shift.”

She nodded. This much she knew.

“It can take anywhere from a few hours to many hours. Your temperature will rise during that time, and I’ll check it often to see where you are in the process.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, Daddy ,” he prodded.

She giggled. “Okay, Daddy.” The tone of her sweet laughter made him nearly forget himself. Fuck it. He wanted to rip this dress off her, flip her onto all fours, and fuck her clear into tomorrow.

Control . He needed to find some.

“During your transitional phase, we’ll have sex several times. You’ll feel a desperation to do so. I will, too.”

“Will it hurt?” Her voice wobbled.

“Only for a moment the first time. After that, it will never hurt again. Nothing but pleasure.”

She gave him a definitive nod.

“Also during your transition, I’ll feed you bottles of formula several times. You’ll need the calories and the fluids. After you shift, you’ll be exhausted, and you’ll sleep for a long time.”

“Okay, Daddy.” She squirmed as if to ask what he was waiting for.

Damn, she was precious.