Page 15 of M.A.Y.A (After the End #4)

Chapter Nine

Once they caught their breath, Isaiah carefully dressed her, and then himself before he carried her bridal style out of the gym and the cave that he referred to as the central Den.

She pressed her forehead against his throat, terrified they’d run into one of his pack members and she’d have to see the judgment on their faces.

Thankfully, the tunnel’s halls were blissfully empty as they walked outside into the thick forest.

Instead of heading down the path that led to the safe house, Isaiah made a left and approached a rock face that was diagonal to the Den’s main entrance.

He turned sideways to prevent her skin from scraping against the stone and slipped through the inconspicuous opening.

Before she could even ask, he pressed his lips against her ear and explained that his home was the first line of defense for an attack against his wolf pack.

It was located in the optimal position to stop intruders when necessary.

He approached a weathered wooden door and then asked her to lift a discrete plastic plate that was left of the entrance. She exposed a retina scanner, which disengaged the lock. The door swung open.

When he carried Maya inside, her arms still wrapped around his neck, she expected a replica of the bunker network she’d come from.

Instead, his refuge was anything but clinical.

The space was decorated with books and antique furniture.

The back wall was made of glass that overlooked a dangerous yet breathtakingly beautiful gorge, and the kitchen sported French-inspired appliances as well as a large butcher block island that could seat at least eight.

Isaiah turned right into an arched passageway and down a corridor to the main suite.

Upon entering, Maya recognized his scent.

The fresh spring water and rich spice that seemed to cling to his skin permeated the air.

The décor was just as rich and warm. Dark hardwood floors, cavernous ceilings, and sturdy oak furniture.

Overhead lighting cast an intimate glow.

To the left through a double wide doorway was a closet, and to the right was the en suite bathroom.

The space looked like a picture from a magazine before the wars.

Isaiah bypassed the bed and walked into a bathroom with a shower big enough to hold at least ten people. The wheel-shaped nobs and rain showerhead were made of a polished gold color that matched the fixtures in the kitchen.

“We generally have good luck in the shower,” he said, amusement lacing his voice. “I wanted to bring you here after that first night at the safe house, but I was worried about moving you too quickly when you were just getting comfortable.”

“I know it’s about the safety of your pack,” Maya mumbled sleepily as he lowered her onto the sink vanity. “I can go back to the safe house if you’re still not ready to have me here. I’m sure your Betas and the rest of the pack would also appreciate some distance from me.”

Isaiah nudged her legs apart and stepped between her spread thighs.

He laced his fingers together at the small of her back.

“Maya, you spent years in a basement, which is nearly the same as living under a rock like our Den. You needed time to process your escape before being exposed to a whole community of cave dwelling nosey wolves.”

Maya rested her palms against the hard planes of his chest. “What changed?”

Isaiah’s stern mouth curved into a beautiful, boyish smile.

“Now that I’ve had you, now that we’ve had each other, there’s no way I'm letting you stay so far away from me.

Especially since you'll be feeling the effects of the bond even more intensely.” He leaned his forehead against hers, and she sighed at the touch.

As much as Maya appreciated how honest he’d been with her, his words were frightening.

She felt the walls closing in on her with every passing comment about the mating bond.

“This is a lot to process, Isaiah. Two weeks may seem like a long time to you, but like I told you, you're asking me to make a lifetime commitment so quickly after my escape. Can’t we just enjoy the time we have without talking about mating or mating bonds?”

He leaned forward and nipped at her pouting lower lip. “Is that what today was for you? Enjoying the time we have?”

“I…I don’t know.”

“You do,” he said, his voice hard and demanding. He sounded like the Alpha wolf he’d earned the right to be. “You feel it now too. Your world is shifting to focus on me, just the way mine is focused on you. You gave me your first, and I’ll be your last.”

Maya curled her fingers in the collar of his shirt. It hung open since she’d torn it, and all the buttons were still scattered on the gym floor. “Okay, but what if all of this is an illusion for you and me? What if it’s a trauma bond and not a mating bond?”

She could feel him relax at her words. Then he chuckled, as if the very thought was so unbelievable. “Tiny warrior, why don’t we shower and sleep on it?” he said. “I just tasted my mate for the first time, and I’d like to hold her now.”

“It’s not enough time for me to figure you out,” she said, almost desperately. It wasn’t enough time before she most definitely had to say goodbye.

“There is time enough.” His tone sounded way too reasonable for comfort. There was something about his tone that made her feel like he was just placating her.

“So, we’ll just shower and go to sleep after we—I just had sex for the first time? That’s it?” She batted at his hands as he stroked his thumbs over her nipples. He reprimanded her by nipping at her jaw.

“Maya, you’re dead on your feet,” he said. “Just shut that beautiful mind off for a little while before we go another couple rounds.”

He was being way too sweet for her liking. “What are you up to, Alpha?”

He froze in the act of tugging at her leggings. His head shot up and his eyes went dark and wolfish between one blink and the next. “Fuck, does that sound sexy coming from your mouth.”

She lifted her hips so he could get the leggings the rest of the way off, removing her underwear with them. “It wasn’t meant as an endearment, but a way to remind you that we still have business between us.”

“And doesn’t that just make it sound so much sexier?”

Before she could protest, Isaiah ushered her into the large stall and pulled her close so that their heads were fully submerged under the rain shower, drowning them both in hot water.

The feeling was so euphoric that she immediately forgot what they were talking about. She’d never take a hot water shower for granted again.

As his hands coasted over her breasts, she felt the insistent nudge of his growing erection against her abdomen.

Her hands automatically wrapped around the base of his penis, and she gave him one long, hard stroke.

He grunted and leaned forward to press an open-mouthed kiss at the nape of her neck.

The way he sucked in that tender spot showed Maya that he knew he was leaving his mark on her.

As the steam built from the water and from the heat they radiated, Maya had to admit that sex between them was magic.

The universal magic that Isaiah had mentioned the first night they spoke.

His touch was imprinted on her body now, and she was desperate or more.

She continued to stroke him as he lathered her lower belly, and then her pussy and thighs.

“I’ve never touched a cock before yours,” she whispered.

“Good,” he said, his words filled with possession.

Their breaths turned to pants and groans before Isaiah hoisted her up against the shower wall. The length of his erection teased her slit, and she dropped her head back in pleasure.

“If you’re already too sore, I’ll stop,” he said with gravel in his voice.

“Don’t stop. Don’t stop, Isaiah, make me feel—”

He slowly slid the tip of his erection into her before she could finish her sentence.

Just like the first time, he robbed her lungs of air.

As he continued to push inside her tight, hot pussy, she could do nothing more than hold on to his shoulders as her body welcomed him until he was seated at the hilt, and she was so full, she could feel it in her throat.

He slowly moved in and out, tiny thrusts, testing her, edging her, until she was mindless.

“You’ll get used to me,” he said hoarsely. “We’re going to do this slow. Then I’ll fuck you until you lose your voice from screaming my name.”

His fingers reached between them, and he stroked her clit even as he increased his pace. She bucked against him, the sensation so intense that she lost control of her limbs. Her cries and gasps echoed off the shower walls, and she dug her fingertips into his back.

Isaiah grew impossibly bigger before his mouth crashed down on hers.

When she wasn’t quick enough to tangle her tongue with his, he snarled against her lips.

The power of that sound, of the vibrations in his body brought her perilously close to coming.

Then he lifted one of her arms, and then the other, to wrap them tightly around his neck while rolling his hips forward in a harder thrust.

“Isaiah,” she cried when her hips slapped against the tiled wall at her back.

“That’s it, baby,” he said, his human voice barely audible. “Take your mate’s cock. Choke on it.” He bit her lip hard enough to sting. “Do you like it, mate?”

This was a trap. She knew exactly what he was trying to do even as her thoughts muddled under the onslaught of pleasure. “I-I’m not your mate yet,” she said as she gasped for air.

Her response had him pushing inside her harder than before until pain and pleasure mixed and there was no start or end to either one.

This time, when his knot grew, she was prepared for how full and out of control she felt from the pressure. Isaiah’s hips slowed, and each tiny thrust stretched her and filled her up.

She closed her eyes as the water coursed over them, trembling as the steam heated their skin, and the way their bodies were slick and wet and sliding against each other.

She wanted this feeling to last a lifetime.

Even as the thought crossed her mind, it scared her to admit how badly she wished she could believe in the power of this mating bond.

“Are you ready for me?” He said, his voice hoarse and throaty.

“Yes, Isaiah, come inside me.”

She felt his knot grow even larger, sparking her panic. He reached up and gripped her hair to pull her head back and expose her throat. “You can take me. Not just now but for forever.”

Just as she felt another orgasm build inside her, he came on a howl that was loud enough to ring in her ears. The pitch was perfect, and it was so melodious, her throat burned with tears. Her confusion, her panic faded, and she looked up transfixed at his face. He was so beautiful, so intense.

She thought about the possibility of having this for the rest of her life her orgasm consumed her, and her mind went blank.

* * *

After Isaiah’s knot began to recede, he patiently washed the remaining soap off both their bodies, wrapped them in warm towels, and ushered Maya back into his bedroom.

He quickly tucked her under the comforters, wet hair and all.

She snuggled into the warmth, and when he joined her, he draped an arm around her midsection and hauled her against his chest.

“I’m sorry I scared you today,” he whispered against her jaw.

She shook her head. “I’m sorry I upset the rest of your pack. I should have turned around and walked out.”

“No,” Isaiah said, his voice taking on a hard edge. He softened his response by pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “You will always belong by my side. Now why don’t you get some sleep? You have training in the morning.”

“Training?”

Maya felt his chest expand with a yawn that had his entire body swallowing every available inch on the mattress.

“You have power, and you can obviously fight, but your moves are out of desperation,” he said, his voice growing slow and sleepy.

“There isn’t purpose behind your attacks.

You’re just as strong as my Betas, which means you should learn how to use your strength, otherwise you can hurt yourself or an innocent bystander.

I also want you to prepare to fight your demons, physically if it comes to it. ”

Training, she thought. Maybe that was a good idea to distract her.

She’d like to understand her strength, too.

She was still alive, and although she lacked the humanity she once possessed, she was still here, and she needed to defend herself with her knew body. “Okay,” she said slowly. “I’ll train.”

“Good. My Alpha mate who stands by my side will be just as strong as I am.”

“I’m not your mate yet,” Maya said and slapped at his hand that had encircled her waist.

“Yet.” She could practically hear the smugness in his tone.

God damn it.

The bastard had cornered her into believing that there was a world in which mating with him was a possibility.

Truthfully, she hated how confident he sounded while she was still wrestling with her new life of freedom.

She still wasn’t sure that she was the right match for him.

If fate hadn’t intervened, wouldn’t he want someone who was a shifter, someone who didn’t carry so much pain as she did?

And there was the very real threat of the bunker portal if they couldn’t figure out a way to destroy it or permanently seal it shut. She wasn’t cocky enough to think she was the only crypto linguist who could crack the code on the portal for long.

“Isaiah?” she whispered.

When he didn’t respond, she twisted in his arms so that she was face to face with the growly Alpha wolf.

He looked so peaceful when he was relaxed.

So incredibly handsome. His hair hung loose around his face.

His mouth was relaxed, and his jaw unclenched.

His arms pulled her even closer until their skin was glued together like two halves of a whole.

She reached up and pressed a palm against his cheek. “Isaiah,” she repeated.

“Mhm,” she heard him grumble. “Go to sleep, tiny warrior.” He squeezed her waist. “We’ll deal with the rest in a few hours.”

Maya hesitated, then decided to let him win this one. She tucked her face against his throat, pressed her hands over his ribcage and closed her eyes with a sigh. They’d deal with the rest. Together.