16. Cherry
Cherry
Glaring at the absolutely amazing shower in my new bathroom, I stomp my paw in agitation. I really want to shower. Especially after what just happened with the twins. But no matter how hard I try, I just can’t shift.
When I woke in that enticing twin sandwich, I’d just had a very dirty dream. Somehow, the memory of that had helped me shift at will. I’d barely even had the thought and I’d shifted. I didn’t need to reach for my magic or concentrate. I just shifted.
Is that my problem? Am I trying too hard?
I stare at the handle on the glass shower door and try to picture myself grabbing it and pulling it open, but when I lift my paw, nothing happens.
I huff out a breath of annoyance as I hear someone step up behind me.
“Are you okay, Cherry?” Maddox asks. I turn to him, feeling frustrated and unsure how to tell him, which just annoys me more. I scratch at the glass door, and he frowns for a second before he seems to get it.
“You want to shower in your human body.” I huff out another breath and dip my head.
He squats down and rubs my neck. “I’m sorry, little mate. I doubt you’d enjoy a shower in your wolf form. How about I give you a bath instead?”
My ears perk up, remembering the last bath he gave me. It was one of the most enjoyable things I’ve ever experienced.
He grins at me and stands up. “Ah, I see you like that idea.” He moves past me to the large corner tub and starts to play with the taps then adds some bubbles. Then he moves to grab a handful of towels and lay them down beside the tub.
Placing his hands on his hips, he looks at me and his lips twist in thought. I tilt my head in question, and he smiles. “You’re adorable, you know that?”
My ears tilt back, unsure what to do with that compliment and he laughs.
“This tub makes it a little hard for me to wash you, so I’m going to have to get in with you.
” My ears lift in delighted surprise. I try not to prance around in excitement, loving the idea of him being in that giant tub with me.
He strips to his boxers and tests the water with his hand as I take a moment to stare at his body. He may be the shortest of the five of them, but he certainly isn’t lacking. The beautiful tattoos covering his ripped chest and arms beg for my fingers to trace them.
Even his thighs look thick and strong. Before I’m done with my ogling, he turns and scoops me up before stepping into the tub and slowly lowering us both down.
The water is the perfect temperature, although I hear him hiss in discomfort. “Sorry, that’s a bit too hot,” he says, but I shake my head, disagreeing. The heat feels amazing and instantly helps me relax.
He sits behind my back, his legs stretched out on either side of me and instantly starts pouring water over the parts of me not submerged, using a small cup.
After that, he shampoos my fur, and I close my eyes, enjoying the massage so much that I sort of lose track of what he’s doing and lean against him.
“Hold on, sweetheart,” he says in amusement. “Let me just rinse out the last of this conditioner, then you can lean against me.” I try to stay upright as he finishes, then he pulls me sideways against him, my nose resting right by his neck as his arms wrap around me.
I take a deep breath, letting his cedar, leather, and ash scent fill me. I’m so comfortable I could easily sleep like this. There is something about letting him care for me and hold me that soothes some part deep inside me.
Wanting Maddox to know how much I appreciate him, I open my mouth as a small tremble rolls through my body. His arms tighten around me, his fingers digging in as I open my eyes and whisper, “Thank you.”
His wide green eyes stare at me in surprise, and I gasp, sitting up and staring down at my very human body. Realizing I’m sitting there naked, I throw myself against him, in a futile attempt to hide my body.
I realize how ridiculous that is, hiding my body from him by plastering myself to him, but I can’t always control my instincts, and when he easily wraps his large arms around me, squeezing me tightly, I forget why I was so startled in the first place.
“Cherry?” he whispers. I tilt my head up to look at him, and a smile slowly spreads across his handsome face. “You shifted. How?”
“I don’t know,” I say, looking away as I try to remember what just happened. “I remember feeling really relaxed. Then I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you taking care of me.”
I look back at him and his eyes turn soft as he studies my face. “You shifted for me.” I nod and he slowly trails his hand up my side until he’s cupping my face.
He runs his thumb over my lower lip, and I inhale sharply. Is he going to kiss me? His eyes dip to my lips, and my tongue pokes out to lick them. If he doesn’t kiss me, I might just self-combust.
Luckily, he doesn’t make me wait as he lowers his mouth over mine, holding me tightly. My fingers dig into his firm chest as I let him take control. The kiss is slow and gentle, as if we have all the time in the world.
His tongue grows bold, demanding entrance, and I open for him, letting him show me how he likes to kiss. He’s an excellent teacher. His movements are strong and controlled, and he takes his time exploring every inch of my mouth. It drives me wild, wanting more with each stroke of his tongue.
Before I met my mates, I never realized that kissing could make you so aroused. Despite the water surrounding us, I feel my pussy dampen, and I turn myself in his lap, letting my knees spread to either side of his waist.
I let my hands slide up and around his neck as a combination of nerves and excitement fills me. His arm around my back tightens as he drags me closer, aligning my pussy right over his very hard cock. I gasp, pulling back a fraction in surprise, as he studies my face.
His hips buck up, and even though he’s wearing boxers, I can feel his length pressing against my clit, making me moan.
His green eyes are practically glowing with heat as a small growl escapes him.
“I should ask you if this is okay,” he says before bucking into me again.
“But I’m not sure I can stop.” He shakes his head, as if trying to physically shake himself out of whatever trance he’s in.
“I’m desperate to bring you pleasure,” he whispers, his lips finding their way to my neck. “I need to see you fall apart from my touch.”
I moan every time he bucks his hips and hold him tighter, not wanting him to stop. “Is… Is it because I’m an omega?” I ask through my moans. “Or because I’m your fated mate?”
He lifts his head to look me in the eyes as he tells me, “It’s because it’s you.” My heart flutters with happiness as his hand moves down between us. His eyes trail down my body as he whispers, “You’re so fucking gorgeous, Cherry.”
His eyes return to mine as I feel his fingers push through my folds, making me gasp as mine dig into his shoulders. “Mmm, yes. You like that, sweetheart?” I nod my head, unable to respond, and he grins, pushing a finger into my core.
“Maddox!” I cry, and he groans in satisfaction.
“Yes, that’s it, sweetheart. Tell everyone who’s making you feel so good.”
I’m not sure what he means, but I don’t care. All I can think about is his finger moving in and out of me. With his other hand on my neck, he pulls me close and kisses me. This time, it’s demanding and desperate, and it helps to push me closer to my peak.
Thanks to what happened with the twins, I know exactly what to expect from an orgasm this time.
But that doesn’t stop my cries as Maddox pushes in a second finger.
His mouth and hand seem to be demanding something from me.
Something I’m desperate to give him. His hand moves so fast, my own hips can no longer keep up, so I stay still and just take what he gives me, which is apparently all I need to send me hurtling over the cliff.
I cry out against him, wishing I could bite him at this moment and seal our bond. But I know he needs to knot me when that happens, so I just let this orgasm roll through me as he continues finger fucking me through it.
I feel him groan and his hips jerk beneath me.
The smell of his own scent intensifies by a hundred, and I relax against him, realizing he came from giving me pleasure, just like the twins had.
There is something really satisfying in knowing that.
That taking care of my arousal brings them sexual pleasure as well.
Is this an omega-alpha thing? Or a fated mate thing?
Or maybe, just like Maddox said, it’s just an us thing.
We stay in the tub, quietly holding each other until the water starts to turn cold. Then Maddox tilts my head up to his and kisses me. He doesn’t use his tongue this time, but it warms me all the same.
He pulls back and runs his thumb along my lower lip and smiles. “My beautiful little mate.”
The way he looks at me, with affection and something else shining through his gorgeous green eyes, has my heart leaping in my chest as I open my mouth and whisper, “I—” but the words get stuck in my throat, scared to admit how I feel.
What if he’s not there yet? I want him to know how I feel, but I’ll be crushed if he doesn’t say it back.
“Yes?” he asks, his eyes searching mine.
I start to grow nervous as I search for something else to say. “I—” I’m saved from needing to respond when my body chooses that moment to shift back to my wolf form.
“Let’s get you dry,” Maddox says, seeming undisturbed by my sudden shift. Which I’m grateful for.
He lifts me from the tub and dries me off, then I make my escape, leaving him to clean himself off and get dressed. My almost confession, followed by an abrupt shift, has left me feeling embarrassed, and since I can’t talk to him about it, I decide to go see what everyone else is doing.
Unsurprisingly, I find Gage in the living room, his face shoved in a book.
I take a moment to take in his appearance.
He doesn’t look too worse for wear, not yet anyway, but I’ve been missing him lately.
I didn’t see him in bed last night, and he’s the only one of my mates that I haven’t kissed yet.
It seems shocking, considering how long I’ve known him, but I remind myself that they barely know my human form. Deciding that he looks fully engrossed in his current book, I leave him in search of the others. I glance through the back door but see no sign of anyone outside.
As I turn to walk away, the hair on the back of my neck prickles with the sensation of being watched. I turn back and take another look, squinting as I watch the edge of the forest, but nothing stands out. I shake the feeling off and quickly move down the hall to where I can hear music coming from.
Stepping into the gym, I find my last three mates working out. Bain is lying on his back, pushing a bar up with what looks to be an insane amount of weight. Chase is standing by his head, counting, and Hunter is hanging from a bar, pulling himself up over and over.
I have never stepped foot in a gym before, and I have no idea what half of this stuff is. And considering I’m in my wolf form, there isn’t much I can do to train.
One thing I can do, though, is ogle my mates. Chase is wearing a tank top that dips so low in the front, I’m not even sure why he wears it. The color matches his pink hair and shows off his large muscles.
My gaze shifts to Hunter, whose back is to me. I watch as the muscles in his back shift with each movement and have to swallow and lick my lips to make sure I’m not drooling. How can a back look that sexy?
Bain grunts, bringing my attention to him as he sets the bar down and sits up, grabbing a bottle of water by his feet and drinking a quarter of it before standing. His head suddenly whips in my direction, and even though he doesn’t smile, I can see the happiness in his eyes.
He likes that I’m here.
“Cherry.” My name, said in his husky voice, is enough to make me shiver, despite how hot I feel right now.
“Pretty girl, did you come to watch us work out?” Chase asks when he notices me. He grabs the closest dumbbell and starts lifting it, curling it toward his shoulder as he grins at me. “Like what you see?” he says, gesturing to his bicep.
Bain snorts and grabs an even bigger weight, matching Chase’s movement as he raises an eyebrow at him in challenge.
Chase narrows his eyes, then grabs a bigger weight and curls it. I can see the strain on his face and suddenly feel confused by what’s going on right now.
“You guys should know better than to think that lifting the most weight would impress Cherry,” Hunter says. I look at him, finding him with his arms crossed, shaking his head as he watches them.
“You’re right!” Chase says, dropping the weight. “She wants to see something impressive.” He drops to the ground and starts doing a one-handed push-up.
Bain glares at him, then surprises me by dropping beside him and doing his own version, which is apparently a one-handed, one-foot push-up.
“They won’t stop as long as you’re watching,” Hunter whispers, suddenly appearing at my side.
I hadn’t realized Bain and Chase were so competitive.
I worry that if they keep trying to outdo each other, they’ll end up hurting themselves.
So while they’re staring each other down, I quickly sneak away.
Just as I’m out of sight of the doorway, I hear Hunter tell them, “She’s gone, you meatheads.”
“Awww,” Chase whines, making me smile as I trot down the hall. I hear Maddox in the office but decide I’m not over my embarrassment from before, so I make my way back to the living room.
Gage doesn’t even look up as I move to the large gas fireplace, happy to find it on, even though it’s summer, and lie down in front of the mantel.
I let the heat soak into me as I watch Gage read.
I need to figure out a way to get him to take a break.
He’s already done so much for me, and we’ve learned a lot of new information.
The last time he got like this, I convinced him to shift and play with me. Maybe I’ll try that again, but first… First, I just need a little nap.