Page 10 of The Wolf Guard’s Mate (Marked Beneath the Moon #3)

ten

OLIVE

Despite Hunter’s typical stoicism, his wolf played energetically with mine in the forest for hours.

The sun was down and we were both starving when they finally shifted in front of the mansion. After we pulled on our clothes from earlier, I let Hunter lead me into the kitchen.

We made dinner together, trading stories about my life after I left Crimson River and his experiences as the pack’s Gamma. We had lived in what felt like two entirely different worlds, which made our stories interesting and our perspectives very different.

I liked hearing Hunter talk, though.

Knowing that he was making an effort to open up for my sake and the sake of our bond made me like it even more.

After dinner, we pulled out a bottle of gin and went back to the pool together. We stripped off our clothes and passed the bottle back and forth, and though neither of us could get buzzed, we talked and laughed plenty.

It wasn’t like any date I’d been on before.

It just felt right.

And when he kissed me in the pool, tangling his fingers in my hair and pulling me close again, I didn’t hesitate to kiss him back.

We were just beginning—but I had a feeling that things would only get better from there.

Largely because Hunter seemed determined, and I was fairly confident that when one of the Savage brothers decided to make something happen, it happened.

The next few days passed in a whirl of conversation, sex, and small adventures. We discovered that Hunter was surprisingly good at bowling. I, on the other hand, was not. I did enjoy it more with Hunter than I ever had with my coworkers, though.

We had a few small disagreements, but the fact that we were permanent mates was pretty good motivation to work things out quickly.

And Hunter, despite his preference for privacy, didn’t seem to be trying to keep anything from me anymore. He kept me updated when he heard from his brothers about the human situation, too.

Enzo and a bunch of humans signed an agreement that Aspen would only change a few approved humans who came from outside of Crimson River every year, so that was settled quickly. The humans would make their own rules and application system, and word spread fast that if you became a werewolf, you would have no choice but to live in our city or be thrown in jail with a massive fine.

The number of interested humans dropped significantly after that announcement, and those who had been lingering near our border finally left.

We gave it a few more days after everything was official before we finally drove back to Crimson River.

Hunter’s hand remained on my thigh through most of the drive, and his calmness didn’t seem like a mask anymore.

He didn’t mind when I played my favorite kind of music, though he asked me not to crank up the volume. I didn’t, and the folk music seemed to float through the vehicle.

It was relaxing, honestly.

The Savages made a plan for all of us to meet up in their shared living room, the Lounge, for dinner. That gave me and Hunter a few hours to get settled, which we definitely needed.

When we turned onto the road that led to the Lodge, I tensed a little.

It was going to be weird, going back there now that things were different. Everyone would know that we hadn’t been dating before the full moon. They would ask questions. Make assumptions. Things could get uncomfortable.

Instead of turning into the main parking lot, Hunter drove past it.

“Where are we going?” I checked.

“Home.” His answer was simple, but the concept was more complicated.

His home wasn’t mine yet.

Our lives were far from completely meshed.

We would try to figure it out, but what if it didn’t work?

What if I wasn’t comfortable living with him, or?—

“My house is about ten minutes from the Lodge,” Hunter said, distracting me from my thoughts. “Our house, hopefully. I needed the distance from everyone. Spending every day working there is already more than I would prefer.”

“You don’t really interact with the pack unless you have to, huh?” I asked him.

He shook his head. “When I do, the interactions are different than they were for you. I keep everyone safe by keeping our security tight—that would make it difficult to maintain actual friendships.”

“And you’re not interested,” I pointed out.

“Not really.”

“You and your brothers talk a lot, though. Every day. You play video games and stuff too, right?”

“We do. The dynamics have changed since Enzo mated with Aspen, but I guess now that we’re all mated, we’ll find a new normal.”

“Is it going to be weird for you that I look so much like your brother’s mate?”

He shot me an amused look. “Is it going to be weird for you that I look so much like your sister’s mate?”

I laughed. “Valid point. And I think all of our personalities are different enough that it won’t be weird.”

“Agreed. All of our scents are also wildly different, so even without the tattoos to separate you, there’s no way I’d mistake Nova for you. Or that Clay would either.”

I guess I hadn’t thought about that.

Nova didn’t seem worried about it, but what if Clay wasn’t thrilled that his mate’s twin was with his brother?

Things could get awkward, fast.

“Do you think Clay will be uncomfortable with it?” I asked. “I’ve only talked to him a few times, and he was really affected by Nova being unconscious during most of them. I don’t know what he’s like.”

Hunter chuckled. “Clay will be more comfortable with it than the rest of us. Now that he’s figured out his wolf’s issues and mated to your sister, he’s ridiculously happy all of the time.”

That was good.

I really didn’t want to cause problems for the Savages. Obviously, Hunter and I were only supposed to be a quick hookup, so I hadn’t taken the time to think about the effects of mating with him.

There was no point in dwelling, though.

Neither of us could change what had happened, so we just had to roll with the punches.

We passed through a gate—I gave him the code, because he had put the app on my phone before we left the mansion—and he pulled up in front of an expansive cabin with massive windows. It was nowhere near as big as his Greenview mansion, but the vibes were similar, and it definitely wasn’t small.

“Does the pack know this is here?” I checked.

“It would be hard for them not to. They give me plenty of space, though.”

I nodded.

We got out of the Jeep, and Hunter grabbed our bags from the back while I went up to the front door and typed in the code. He met me there as the door unlocked, and he pulled it open for me.

I kissed his cheek before slipping inside, and my lips curved upward at the soft rumble that followed me in.

Looking around, I took in the tall ceilings and wide, airy space. Everything was modern, but comfortable. Massive, soft-looking rugs made the light, wooden floors cozier, and everything smelled like Hunter.

“Take your time looking around,” he said, his hand brushing my ass before he headed to the kitchen to make a quick snack. We were both hungry after the drive.

I checked everything out, and thankfully, the house wasn’t big enough to get lost in like the mansion was. It was significantly larger than my cabin, though, and far cozier too.

I was trying to keep an open mind, because I didn’t want to agree to live there and change my mind afterward. But the more I saw, the more I liked it, and I’d never been all that picky about where I lived.

After I was done with my tour, I went back to Hunter’s bedroom and plopped down on the gigantic bed, pulling the blankets aside so I could tuck myself in. I relaxed against the pillows, trying to decide if I could imagine myself curling up there with him every night.

Hunter joined me after a few minutes, with a large plate of food in his hand. He leaned against the wall, watching me, but I waved him over.

When I lifted the blankets for him, he set the plate on one of the nightstands and joined me on the bed.

“What are we doing?” he asked, sounding a little amused.

“Testing it out. I can’t commit until I’m positive. You have to snuggle with me before I’ll know for sure.” I rolled to my side.

He chuckled, turning so he could spoon me the way he always did when we slept. “How’s this?”

“Pretty good.” I moved my hips a little, biting back a grin when his cock hardened instantly against my ass. “It’s a nice bed.”

He brushed my hair off my neck so he could kiss my throat. “Much nicer with you in it.”

“You think so?”

“Mmhm.” He dragged his lips down and sucked lightly on my throat as he stroked a hand over my abdomen. “Your test run will work better if you let me take your clothes off.”

“Sounds like fun.”

He slid my pants down my thighs, brushing my clit with the base of his palm as he did.

My hips arched lightly, and I helped him get the fabric off me entirely.

Lifting one of my legs over his thighs, he opened me up. He dragged a few fingers over my clit—but moved his hand up to my shirt afterward.

It took a little more effort to get that off, but my bra followed, and soon enough my body was bare.

“Now you’re wearing too many clothes,” I murmured, dragging his hand back to my core myself.

Hunter teased my clit slowly. “Am I?”

“Mmhm.”

He made no effort to strip for me, just playing with my clit with one hand and moving the other up and down my body like he couldn’t decide where he wanted to touch me.

It wasn’t long until I was coming on his hand with a moan of pleasure, and he was rumbling behind me again.

“So do you approve of the bed?” he asked, nipping my throat lightly as I caught my breath. His cock was practically stone behind me.

“Yep. It’s great. Might need to test the couch out too.”

I felt Hunter’s grin against my neck. “Alright.”

We both got off the bed, and his hands were on my waist as he followed me out of the bedroom. With all the massive windows looking out on the forest, it felt a little like being out in the woods. With all the comforts of a nice house, of course.

I sat down on the gigantic couch and patted the cushion next to me. “Take your clothes off so you can test it with me.”

Hunter didn’t protest, and stripped. I watched closely, my gaze lingering on his six pack before following the light trail of hair down to his erection.

Hot damn, he had a nice cock.

And it was mine.

Permanently.

He sat down next to me, and when an idea sprung to life in my mind, I acted on it.

“How does it feel?” I checked.

“Like a good couch.” He still sounded amused.

Maybe I was his built-in entertainment system for the rest of his life. Lucky bastard.

“Only good? Hmm.” I scooted closer to him and wrapped a hand around his erection, earning a low growl. “How about now?”

“Better,” he rumbled.

I stroked him lightly, and he watched me touch him with dark, hooded eyes. “Now?”

“Fucking incredible.”

I kept going, watching his abs tense with my motions and listening closely to every sound of pleasure the man tried to bite back.

He didn’t want to lose control of himself.

I could fix that.

Without releasing him, I slid off the couch and kneeled between his legs. His groan was nearly feral as I lowered my lips to his erection and kissed him lightly.

“Oli Pop…”

“Shut up and let me taste you,” I murmured.

And finally, I wrapped my lips around the thick head of his cock.

His hips jerked violently, and he buried his hands in my hair, gripping tightly. Usually, I let him be the bossy, controlling one. But this time, I was in charge.

Hunter’s breathing was ragged, his entire body tense as I bobbed slowly over his length, taking him deeper into my mouth.

He swore viciously.

I bobbed again, and his cock nearly hit the back of my throat.

His curse was nearly a gasp.

I picked up the speed, taking him a little deeper every time, until he was snarling and swearing as his release flooded my throat. His entire body shook with pleasure and effort as he fought the urge to drive into my mouth and take control of his release, but he never gave in.

He dropped his head back against the couch cushions as he panted, catching his breath while I licked the head of his cock clean and climbed onto his lap. Hunter pulled me to his chest, holding me tightly.

“You’re fucking perfect, Ol,” he rumbled.

“I know.” I nipped at the marking I’d left on his shoulder. The one that made him mine.

He barked out a laugh.

“You know what we haven’t tested out?” I asked, feigning seriousness?”

“The wall?”

“That can wait. I was thinking about the porch.”

He lifted his head from the couch cushions, eyes darkening quickly. “You want me to fuck you outside?”

“Where anyone could hear us,” I said with a smirk.

He rumbled again, lower. “It’s risky.”

“I told you, I like to live on the edge. And you do have a fence, so really, how risky is it?”

He let out a long breath. “You’re going to be the death of me, woman.”

“You wish you were that lucky.”

He laughed, dragging my mouth to his and kissing me deeply. He must’ve tasted his own pleasure on my tongue, but he clearly didn’t care.

His cock was covered in the slickness of my desire when he finally ended the kiss, and the way it was throbbing told me he was ready for another round. “Alright, the porch it is. I want you on your hands and knees though.”

“You’ve never taken me like that before.”

“I know. It’s long past time.” He squeezed my ass, then lifted me off the couch with him as he stood and spanked me lightly. “Come on.”

“Are you into spanking?” I teased.

“I could be, and something tells me you are.”

“With the right guy.”

He growled. “I am the only guy for you.”

I winked at him over my shoulder. “Exactly.”

We made it onto the porch, and he stepped back, swatting my backside lightly again. “On your hands and knees, Oli.”

I did as instructed, kneeling on the smooth, expensive wood. He kneeled too, hand wrapped around his cock.

Lifting my ass higher, he lined himself up and thrusted, filling me roughly.

I moaned in pleasure as he drove in deeper, smacking my ass lightly and growling, “You’re so fucking gorgeous.”

And soon enough, we were coming together, lost entirely in the way our bodies were connected.