Page 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Amelia entertained leaving the room and not looking back, leaving Gram to his own devices. She’d done what had been expected of her—she’d pleasured him. But her reasons for doing it hadn’t been because she wanted to follow commands. No. She’d done it because it felt right and she’d wanted it for herself.

She still wanted him.

Still felt the pull to him.

Torn between turning and throwing her arms around the man, and fleeing in order to salvage her escape plan, Amelia froze, her hand on the door handle. Leaving was the smarter option. If she did, she could keep getting everything in order for leaving tomorrow. Gram was an unnecessary complication. A wrench in her plan. But she couldn’t deny she was drawn to him in a way that suggested she might never actually get enough of him.

He was like a drug.

And she craved him.

It was painfully obvious that Gram feared hurting her and that meant something to her. It meant that he was a good man. Unlike the men she’d spent her life around. He was different and while they may have only just met, he cared about her in some way, even if only small.

She knew she cared for him already.

More than cared, not that she could explain the reasoning behind it all.

Was he right? Were they fated mates? It would certainly explain the attraction she felt for him, the desire she had to please him, and the hollow pit in her stomach at the thought of carrying out her plan to flee with Andie but leaving Gram behind.

Whatever the reasoning behind it all was, she knew she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t go without him. She couldn’t walk away from him now when it was clear he was struggling with his shifter side and she understood that inner battle was because of her. Because he didn’t want to hurt her. Deep down she also knew she could help him. It was within her power to give his wolf side what it was craving, ease Gram’s longing, and in return, handle her own desires as well.

With mustered courage, she took hold of her dress and pulled it up and over her head. Casting it aside, she stood with her back to Gram, totally naked and exposed to him. She’d never felt so vulnerable in all her life.

Would he reject her?

Would his fear of hurting her win out?

She waited with bated breath, unsure if he’d still refuse to touch her or not.

When his hot, hard body crowded hers, pressing her against the door, she knew otherwise.

He put his mouth to her ear. “ Mine .”

Heat rushed over her and she nodded, tipping her head, giving him access to her neck if he wanted it, knowing that was what he and his wolf needed. “Yes. Yours .”

He pushed against her more. He put his hands up to the door and leaned, causing her to press to the hard wood totally and completely. His cock nudged at her backside and she gasped.

Gram dragged his chin over her shoulder and the stubble on it tickled, making her laugh and bend slightly. That only served to push her butt against his erection more.

The magik around her began to swirl. It was suddenly caressing her everywhere all at once. Tiny gasps of pleasure came from her as she arched her back more, wanting Gram fully.

He moved an arm down and slinked it around her waist. When he lifted her feet off the floor, she yelped. He held her there suspended and she felt compelled to lean forward more for him, understanding what he was doing—ensuring they’d fit together while they were both standing since there was such a height difference. It was on the tip of her tongue to suggest they use the table when she felt the head of his cock nudging her wet core.

The power around them increased, caressing her intimate areas to the point she felt as if she’d burst. When Gram pressed his shaft into her, it was painfully tight at first, but quickly eased. He went deeper, slowly, inch by inch, and she understood the restraint he was showing in order to make that happen.

Another sign he was nothing like the males of the Flock.

Amelia gasped as pleasure continued to rack her body.

He buried himself farther into her wetness and growled against her ear in male triumph. Liquid heat flooded her sex and he began moving in and out of her with more ease, filling her past the brink of full. She pressed her hands to the door, easing one up and over Gram’s hand. The claws on his fingers receded and suddenly he was kissing her neck, her ear, anywhere he could seem to get his mouth. She knew then he was gaining more control over his wolf side.

Oddly, she wanted him to keep being wild.

He didn’t disappoint as he continued to pound into her, holding her off the floor, their bodies locked tight together. He controlled the entire situation and that only served to turn her on more. She liked knowing how powerful yet gentle he was with her. He was a true alpha. The kind that didn’t need to fling power or strength around endlessly or rule with fear. He was the kind that understood violence wasn’t the answer to every situation.

She gasped and panted as he thrust in and out of her, again and again, the pleasure bordering on mind-numbing.

Pumping, he made low, animalistic noises before grunting.

She moaned and gasped at the feel of his big, thick, long shaft pounding like a piston in and out of her. The magik continued to pulse around them and it, combined with Gram being buried deep in her, was too much for her system to handle.

Pleasure tore through her and she cried out in ecstasy, digging her nails into the back of Gram’s hand. She hadn’t meant to draw blood, but it happened all the same.

The man didn’t stop or even seem to notice.

No.

He kept going.

Kept drilling in and out of her.

Blinded by passion, she cried out again as her body constricted around his cock.

Gram went faster, bucking against her, making her hit her zenith over and over. She couldn’t take it anymore. For a second, she thought she might go up in flames if he kept going.

Growling, he jerked her hips tighter to him, locking deep in her body with a shuddering roar. She felt him erupting deep in her as his cock twitched. “ Mine !”

The slightest of pinches happened in her neck at the same moment her entire body lit with bliss.

The pinching stopped, and Gram licked the area, only seconds before Amelia gave in to the urge to lean forward. She licked the bloody scratches on the back of his hand and paused, whispering as she did, “Mine.”

The power swirling in the room slammed into them.

It felt as if someone was there, stitching their hearts and souls together, forming an unbreakable bond. For one moment, she felt as if she was experiencing it all from Gram’s point of view. What confused her was how much the man cared for her already. If she didn’t know better, she’d have thought she was sensing love.

As quickly as the glimpse into his world had come, it vanished.

“It’s done,” he said, his voice deep. “But we’re far from done, lass.”

Gram lifted her higher and began to fuck her so hard and fast, she feared they’d fall through the door and into the hallway. That or he’d break her in two. If it happened, she’d die happy.

Really, really happy.

She cried out again in pure bliss as he rooted deep, his cock twitching once more. When he made small, jerky thrusts, she found herself swiveling her hips as best she could considering the fact he was holding her around her waist, locking her body to his.

With a quivering breath, he eased from her body and she felt their combined juices instantly start to leak from her.

Gram kissed her ear and then lowered her with the utmost care to her feet. He didn’t move, choosing instead to keep her facing the door. He wrapped his arms around her and held her to him.

She sank against his embrace as their power evaporated, leaving her slightly dizzy, but thoroughly satisfied.

Her mind wandered to what little she knew about supernatural matings. As she thought about the fact that he’d bitten her, and she’d licked his blood, while they were climaxing and verbally claiming one another, she tensed.

He let out a long, shaky breath. “Aye, lass. I was nae wrong. Yer my mate. And no one will be telling us otherwise from this point onward.”

Amelia gulped. “We’re mated now?”

“Aye.” He planted a row of kisses on her shoulder before turning her to face him. He raked his gaze over her and a lopsided grin spread over his face.

“Gram?”

“I have the hottest wife ever,” he said with a wink. “Lass, all I want to do right now is play with your boobs. Can I?”

Unable to help herself, she laughed. It was the result of his odd humor, nerves, and fear.

Cal would kill them all if he didn’t get what he wanted from the Bringer. Then again, maybe he’d wanted Gram to claim Amelia all along. The thought sobered her, and she nearly started to panic once more.

There was no way to take it back. No undoing a claiming. The act was done. They were officially mated. Man and wife in the eyes of the supernatural community.

It was a lot to absorb and take in. Her mind was having a hard time wrapping around the knowledge, despite her knowing it was true. She was his and he was hers.

“Lass?” he asked. “You look pale. What’s wrong? Do you regret what happened between us? I thought when you lifted your dress that you understood what was going to happen. That you knew I was going to claim you fully. I’m sorry. I dinnae mean to take yer choices. Did I hurt you? Amelia, I’d never hurt you intentionally.”

Amelia grabbed him, keeping him close. “No. I’m not sure how to explain this right. I mean, I do regret it.”

He lowered his gaze. “Amelia, I’m sorry.”

“Let me finish please,” she said, as she touched his chin. “But it’s not for the reasons you’re thinking. I regret it because now you’re in my father’s crosshairs even more. Gram, I’m scared he’ll hurt you. That this isn’t what he wanted, or worse yet, it is. Maybe we just played right into his twisted plot. But I don’t regret getting you . And I don’t regret the fact I’m now yours forever, and you’re mine.

“You’re the bright spot in all of this. I didn’t start out today thinking I’d meet a man who captivated me and that I’d end up his wife before the day was out. I’m not going to ask your age. I probably don’t want to know right now. Save that revelation for another day. I’m only twenty-three. I’ve been raising my little sister for two years already, all the while trying to get her away from a madman. When I had a small taste of the outside world, it became very clear to me how sheltered I was in the Flock. I may have seen unspeakable atrocities, but I’d not ever seen a movie in a theater. And the movies I did get to see were carefully screened. No sense letting the Flock get ideas to start thinking on their own or anything.”

She took a deep breath, keeping hold of his chin. “I’ve barely had a chance to live my life. I’ve never really been able to live it just for me, and now, I’m tied to a man who oozes alpha and is, I’m guessing, a lot older than he looks. Are you going to take my freedoms like Cal has, but in other ways? Did I just trade one domineering male for another?”

“Never,” said Gram, taking hold of her hand and kissing her fingertips. “I’d never take yer freedoms, Amelia. If you do nae want me, I’ll do my best to stay on the fringe of yer life, but I’d be lying if I told you I could be far from you. A shifter male is hardwired to nae let that occur. But maybe I could turn my magik on myself. Maybe I could find a way to help you be as far from me as you want to be.”

His words eased her worries.

She’d been right about him.

He was nothing like the men of the Flock.

She skimmed her fingertips over his lips more, hating the sadness that filled his blue gaze. The man was more than she could have ever hoped for in a mate. More than she’d ever expected anyone to be. He was willing to forgo his own chance at happiness to please her. “I don’t want that. I just needed to hear you say that if I did want it, you’d not fight me on it.”

A shaky breath fell free from him. “So you do nae want me to stay far from you?”

“No. I don’t want that at all,” she said with a smile.

“Guid thing, lass. I think I’d have had to resort to asking the twins to hogtie me to make sure I kept my distance from you. Trust me when I say they’d have loved to do it. In fact, it would nae be their first time doing such a thing to me.”

She grinned. “Bet Bill would have helped.”

“Aye. For sure.” He chuckled. “You do realize we’re standing here naked and I can still smell yer cream?”

“We just did a lot. How can you still be thinking about sex?” she asked.

He bit his inner cheek. “The fact yer nae makes me think I’m nae as guid a lover as I’ve thought I was. You’ve managed to make me the happiest man on earth and offer a serious blow to my ego all in one afternoon, lass.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, no! That isn’t it at all. It all felt amazing. More than amazing even. But, well, my friend Tina talks about men and sex and she told me that while supernatural males have more stamina than a human male, they still require downtime between sexual acts. You don’t. That’s what I meant. I’d tell you that you’re the best lover I’ve ever had but I’m not sure that would hold much weight considering you’re the only lover I’ve ever had. What I can tell you is that it was amazing, and I hope we can do that a lot more.”

He nodded, wrapping his arms around her. “Aye, and I’ll be the only one you ever have, too. Yer mine, lass.”

This time, the idea of being mated to him didn’t send her into an instant panic. A piece of her wanted to believe that together, she and Gram could accomplish anything—even beat Cal at his own game.

Whatever game that may be.

His prediction of Amelia being the one to attract the Bringer had been right. She just hoped the rest of what he was thinking might happen wouldn’t come to pass. “Figures this would be one of the predictions my insane father got right.”

Gram laughed softly as well, rubbing himself against her as he waggled his dark brows. “Wait until he figures out that he’s nae gaining another follower but rather losing two daughters.”

“Gram?”

He caressed her side, making her laugh as it tickled. “Amelia, I told you already, I plan to take you and yer sister from here. I’ll nae have either of you here if it’s nae safe for you. Understood?”

She nodded. “He won’t let us just walk away. I have a plan set up to run. We’ll need to be secretive about it. You’re too important to his grand designs. Andie and I are disposable. Like our mother was to him when she’d served her purpose and gave him children.”

Gram growled, and she worried he’d revert and end up in shifted wolf form. “If he attempts to take you or yer sister—my family—from me, or harm either of you in any way, he’ll see just how fucking much I really do bring to the cult.”

Pressing herself to him, Amelia stared up into his handsome face. “Shh. They’ll hear.”

“Guid.”

She went to her tiptoes and kissed his lips tenderly before drawing back.

Gram came for her mouth again, but she touched his lips, blocking his path. “Lass, my dick does nae seem to care that he should want downtime.”

Glancing down, she saw he was right. She stared harder at his shaft.

“Amelia?”

“I’m trying to figure out how that fit in me and how it is I’m upright and not split in two,” she said flatly, meaning every word of it.

His deep chuckle tugged at her gut. “Truth be told, I was nae so sure it would fit. It was touch and go for a moment there.”

She laughed and traced her hands over the planes of his upper chest. “Gram, are you over three thousand years old?”

His eyes widened. “Och. No! Lass, do I need to invest in moisturizer? The last time I checked I dinnae look much beyond thirty. I could be wrong though. When I see some teens driving now, I think they look ten, so I may nae be a guid judge of age.”

She grinned and found herself running her thumb over his lower lip. “I was pointing out the fact Cal is nearly three thousand. He’s had a long time to build his powerbase. A long time to learn all the tricks in the book. I didn’t mean you looked that old. You are so handsome. I really don’t think I’m ever going to get tired of looking at you. Or tasting you. You taste really yummy.”

He flashed a sexy smile. “So do you, wife. And if you do nae wish to be taken again, right this moment, we should get dressed, find Andie, the two Scottish dipshites who brought me here, the hairy nutty old man, and his silent buddy with the doll head, and then discuss an exit strategy.”

“Yes. Before Cal enacts whatever plan for you that he has.”

“Actually, I’m more worried someone will try to give me a mud bath and put cucumbers on my eyes than I am of yer father.”

She couldn’t help but smile more at his humor. “Thank you for coming here.”

He touched her cheek with the back of his hand. “Thank you for nae giving up on me. For trusting me even when I dinnae trust myself. For knowing I would nae hurt you when I claimed you. And for letting me claim you when you’ve only just met me. The faith you have in me means everything, Amelia.”

She smiled and then gasped as she looked down the front of him and did a double take.

His brow furrowed. “Lass?”

“Gram, your scars.”

He glanced down too and stepped back fast, running his hand over his smooth torso. Gone were any signs he’d been burned or hurt.

Amelia went to him and spun him around. The smallest of burn marks remained on his upper right back area. Everything else was gone. Totally healed over as if it had never happened. “Your back is pretty much healed, too. There is just a small bit that isn’t. It’s the size of my hand. How?”

He turned slowly, took her hands in his, and brought them to his lips. He kissed them. “That is nae important. All that matters right now is that yer with me. Let’s go collect our family and get the hell out of here before someone offers us grape-flavored drinks or a ride on any comets.”

“But, Gram, your scars. They’re gone. Don’t you want to know how and why?”

He kissed her knuckles, one by one. “It’s pretty plain to me already. You’ve healed me, Amelia. The man and the wolf.”

She teared up, realizing that the constant fear she’d been living with for years was lessened. For the first time in a long time, she had real hope about her future—about getting Andie far from their father’s clutches and schemes. It was then she realized Gram had, in a way, healed her too.

He eased around her and moved her over out of the way of the door. He opened it boldly, seemingly unconcerned he was totally naked. She noticed the spot he’d put her in kept her from view of anyone who might be in the hallway.

Gram stiffened, his back to her. “Susan, guid. You brought the dress. Is there anything else you need, seeing as how yer lurking outside the door?”

Susan was out there?

Amelia tensed.

How much had the woman overheard?

Did she know Gram was planning to take her and Andie and leave? If she did, she’d go to Cal. Susan prided herself on being Cal’s eyes and ears.

Gram stayed where he was at the door. “I’m going to spend the rest of the day with Amelia, unless there is some problem with that?”

“No, no problem,” said Susan, something off in her voice. “I’ll let her father know she’ll be with you.”

“Guid.”

Amelia held her breath, fear of what Susan may have heard too much to take. At some point, her power had fallen, letting others hear what was happening in the room, but Amelia didn’t know exactly when that had happened. Her mind had been elsewhere.

Shutting the door, Gram glanced at her. “Lass, yer pale. What’s wrong?”

She didn’t say anything, afraid Susan would hear her.

Gram came to her with the dress in hand. He dragged his knuckles over her exposed neck before cupping the back of her head and kissing her thoroughly. He drew back, grinning. “Wife, let’s go.”