“You really believe that, or are you just trying to get in my pants?” Marissa asked with a tone that told him she wasn’t joking, but there was something else there. Something she hinted at but didn’t come right out and say.
Shade was taken aback when a thought struck him. “Marissa, why was your Alpha so eager to bed you? Is it because nobody else has?”
As crimson covered her face Shade got his answer. Well, shit.
“Hell, you’re a virgin?” Shade asked, already knowing the answer, but she nodded anyway. Although her cheeks were pink, her eyes were defiant as she stared up at him. “I see. I guess I’ll have to rethink the wild and crazy sex that was going on in my head.”
“Wild and crazy huh?” she asked as she prodded his chest. “I think we can work up to that, but I hope you won’t be disappointed and I don’t just mean in the sex department. I’m not exactly what most would call a ‘good catch’ in the mate department.”
Shade’s temper rose each time she put herself down. In his eyes, she was perfect. “You are for me. I’ve already told you, the Goddess doesn’t make mistakes. Are you going to argue with a Goddess? And a word of warning, little Mari, if you don’t stop putting yourself down at every turn, I’m going to get angry. You’re gorgeous, you’re brave, and you’ve got more strength inside you than you’ll ever know. And hey, with me by your side you just can’t fail. I’m a kickass Alpha and nobody messes with me, or mine.”
“Gorgeous?” she breathed out, her pupils dilating as the vein in her neck throbbed with her heart rate rocketing.
“That’s the one word you took out of that little speech?” he joked, lowering his lips to hers in a chaste kiss, savoring the first taste of his mate as her flavor exploded in his mouth as she opened to him. His tongue gently probed inside, tangling with hers, as she moaned into him.
Shade forced himself to pull back, his hand cradling her face. “You’re mine, Mari, forever, and I promise I’ll always keep you safe. Do not ever doubt that, not for a second.”
Her glassy eyes stared back, a flicker of doubt still remained. “I’m finding all this hard to take in, Shade. Yesterday I was on the run and today I’m here, with you, and it’s all a bit much. Ya know?”
“Sort of,” Shade replied, smirking. “I wasn’t looking for a mate. Hell, when we found what was wrong with me in our Archives, I can tell you I was more than a little shocked and in denial . . .”
“Wait, back up there, big guy.” Marissa frowned. “What’re you talking about? What was wrong with you and what were you in denial about?”
“I’ve been a little strange lately. I thought I was ill or something, just couldn’t seem to eat enough to fill me up.” Shade paused, not sure how to describe the all-consuming appetite that had taken over him.
Marissa sat up on his lap, her eyes sparkling bright. “Are you trying to tell me you had the Hunger? The damn Hunger, Shade?”
He cocked his head to the side, seeing the wonder in her face. “You’ve heard about that?”
“Sure I have. The women in my Pack spoke about it like it was some kind of fairy-tale, like a Prince Charming sort of thing. But you didn’t answer my question . . . did you have that?”
Shade nodded. “Yeah, but I had no idea what was wrong with me. Royce and Ash, my Betas, they helped me. Our Archives were recently transferred to digital, so we pored through them and Ash found a reference to this Hunger and what it meant. It took some convincing, but finally we took off, and my Wolf led me straight to you.”
“Holy crap.” Marissa’s hand flew to her throat. “I can’t believe this, it’s . . . sorry, I don’t have anything but . . . holy crap.”
Shade chuckled at her awe-struck expression as she stared at him. “I assume that’s a good holy crap?”
She nodded vigorously. “Yeah, I take it back ‘bout the Goddess.”
“Good to know,” Shade grinned. “I think it’s time we got you showered and then back to bed for you.”
“No.” Marissa disagreed. “Shower, yes, back to bed, no. I feel much better so I’m not spending my first day here lying around like an invalid. I promise not to overdo things but I’m not going back to bed. We have a lot to discuss, about, well, this whole mating thing and I don’t want to put that off. We both know the normal way things work with this and my skin is itching like crazy for your touch.”
Her face flushed as she finished, looking adorably embarrassed to Shade. “I’m well aware of how things go between mates, Mari. However, just yesterday you were unconscious and I’m not sealing our bond until I’m certain you’re all right. Why? Because when I do, I want to make love to you for hours on end. I want to adore your body from top to toe, and force so many orgasms from you that you’ll not know what damn day it is. I want you to scream my name so fucking loud that the entire Pack knows you’re mine, baby, and that’s not happening until you’re fit enough to take what I’m going to dole out.”
Marissa’s body quivered in his arms, moaning softly, her tongue darted out to lick her lips as the scent of her arousal surrounded them. “Wow, I’m not sure what to say, but wow.”
“I’ll show you so much pleasure that you’ll not know
