Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Khloe spent long moments in that semi-lucid stage of sleep where she was marginally aware she was in the process of waking up but not quite willing to open her eyes yet. She was warm and comfortable. She felt heavy and oddly happy for reasons she couldn’t put her finger on. Maybe she’d been having a good dream.
Eventually, she was aware of a few things that didn’t fit. She was a bit too warm and cocooned. She felt constricted. The room didn’t smell like her bedroom. The scent filling her nose every time she inhaled didn’t belong in her home, but it smelled like home. And something was in her mouth. She was sucking something.
Finally, enough lucidity took over that she bolted awake, jerking her eyes open in a panic. For a moment, she was freaked out. A man was peering down at her from inches away. He was holding her in his arms. It made no sense until she remembered who he was.
The man was Felix, her mate, the wolf shifter she would spend her life with. He had given her some kind of potion that put her to sleep, so it stood to reason she was now in his home.
Felix smiled. “There you are. I missed you.”
Missed her? How long had she been asleep?
He was bouncing her in his arms, cradling her against his chest, and he was so enormous and strong that he only needed one arm around her to do so. He used the other to tug something out of her mouth.
She frowned as it popped free. “What was that?”
“A pacifier, Little one. You were a bit distressed. It helped keep you calm. Perhaps a bit too calm. You’ve been asleep for a while.”
She licked her lips, sensing the indentation from the pacifier around her mouth. She must look ridiculous. “Why would you give me a pacifier?” she whispered.
“It’s customary for Alpha Protectors to soothe their Little girls in many ways, Khloe.”
She couldn’t process that information. Was she still partly asleep? She slowly turned her head to look around. They were in a living room that opened into a kitchen. “This is your home?”
“ Our home now, Little one.” He slowly eased her more upright and then grabbed her hips and settled her on one of his. “How about if I give you a tour?”
She considered arguing that she could walk on her own, but she kind of liked being this close to him. She felt…protected. That made very little sense since they were in his house. She was safe. She didn’t need protection. But she got the feeling he thought she needed protecting, so she wrapped her arms around his neck, set her chin on his shoulder, and held on tight.
At some point, he had changed clothes. He was wearing a soft long-sleeved shirt. It felt nice against her skin. She was still wearing the ceremonial dress, and she was kind of relieved to know he hadn’t taken it off her.
On the other hand… Maybe that was a lie. Now that she’d been awake for a few seconds, and she was so close to him, inhaling his scent with every breath, she had a strange urge to be even closer.
Felix stood in the middle of the room and slowly turned in a circle. There were a lot of things in the great room that caught her attention and made her nearly panic, but before she had a chance to ask any questions, she was suddenly facing a grand piano.
Khloe squealed loudly before shoving against Felix and wiggling in his arms to get down. “Oh, my heavens! You have a piano!” She fought against him when he wouldn’t put her down.
Instead he held her tighter and carried her toward the piano. “I guess you like your surprise.” He chuckled as he pulled out the bench with one hand and then stepped over it to sit, swinging her around so she sat on one of his thighs with her legs dangling between his knees.
Khloe continued to squirm. She wanted to touch the keys so badly. She’d never seen a piano this nice in her life. She bet it would sound better than any instrument she’d ever played.
Felix finally lowered her to stand in front of the bench, but he kept her between his legs and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her neck.
Her hands shook as she lifted them to the keys. “Do you play?” she asked.
“No, Baby girl. I’ve never played an instrument.”
She twisted her head to look at him. “Why do you have a piano?”
He chuckled again, a deep rumbling sound she already loved. “For you, Little one. Leah told me you liked to play, so I got you a piano.”
She stared at him. Tears started running down her cheeks. She’d hoped and prayed her mate would let her continue to enjoy music in some fashion even if it meant getting her a harmonica or a kazoo, but she’d never dreamed of him owning a piano.
He didn’t simply happen to own one, though. He’d bought the best one she’d ever seen just for her. He hadn’t even known her, and he’d made this gigantic gesture.
Khloe was overwhelmed, and she turned in his arms so she was facing him. She slid her hands from his shoulders to his neck. “Thank you,” she choked out, trying not to actually sob.
He cupped her face and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. “I would move the mountains for you, Khloe.”
Now she really did start sobbing.
He didn’t say a word about her crying. He simply held her close and stroked her cheeks.
Her heart was racing. She felt things she’d never experienced before. She’d been told the bond she would have with her mate would be stronger than any other relationship she’d ever had, including with her parents or her sister, but she hadn’t expected this.
As she stared into his eyes, she felt their connection growing. Something was happening between them. It was intense. Her breasts felt heavy, and her stomach started fluttering. She squeezed her legs together as a pressure built between them in the place she knew he would enter her.
She started shaking, confused and nervous. “Felix…”
He set his forehead against hers. “Don’t fight it, Baby girl.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will.”
“I…” She had no idea how to finish that sentence. She wanted something, but what?
Felix slid his hands up and down her back until he cupped her butt and squeezed.
Her breath hitched. She arched her chest closer to him. Her fingers dug into his neck. When he eased his hands down to the backs of her thighs, even through the layers of her shifts and the dress, she felt something happening to her. Her world was shifting. Her eyes rolled back, and she moaned.
Felix kissed a path down her face and lower to her neck.
Khloe found herself tipping her head to the side to give him better access.
He nibbled a path to her ear and nuzzled behind it, making her moan louder.
Her knees threatened to buckle. “Felix…”
He growled into her ear. It wasn’t mean. It was playful, and it made her body vibrate. “You will call me Daddy, Baby girl.”
She turned her face to look at him and scrunched her forehead. “Daddy?”
“Yes. It’s what Little girls call their mates among my people.”
“Why?”
He slid his hands around her thighs farther and squeezed.
Khloe rose onto her toes. She was panting now. A strange need was growing inside her. She felt too warm. She wanted this dress off. It made no sense. Nothing made sense.
“It’s a term of endearment, a show of respect and submission.”
She stared at him and thought about his words while he slowly moved his fingers back and forth on her inner thighs, inches from her private parts.
He brought his lips to hers and gave her the lightest kiss. “Try it, Baby girl.”
She licked her lips. “Daddy…”
He grinned wide. “That sounds nice.”
“I don’t think I ever used that term even with my father.”
He shuddered slightly. “Good. I’m certainly not your father. I’m your life partner. Your mate. Your Dominant. Your Daddy.”
She searched his eyes but didn’t find answers. It was hard to think with his fingers tormenting her like they were. It seemed they were inching closer to her sex. It made her nervous, and she squirmed, but that only caused him to pull her in closer and slide his fingers farther around her inner thighs.
“Don’t fight it, Little one.” His lips came to hers again. He kissed her gently at first, then with more urgency, the same urgency she felt.
She closed her eyes and went into her head, enjoying the feel of his lips on hers, the way his tongue slid between them. She marveled at how natural it felt when he stroked her tongue with his and then growled and reached deeper.
She was panting heavily when he finally drew back. He was panting, too, and he cleared his throat. “I intended to give you more time,” he muttered, gripping her thighs with more force. “I can’t stop this. I can smell your need.” He inhaled deeply and moaned as he let out his breath.
She could smell it, too, her own need and his. Her face heated with embarrassment.
He gave her a slow smile. “I’m going to carry you into the bedroom, strip this dress off you, and make you mine, Baby girl.”
She sucked in a breath. She was scared out of her mind, but she’d known this would happen. She’d known he would put his member inside her and had expected it to happen tonight, but why did he need to take her dress off?
“Do you understand what’s going to happen between us, Khloe?”
She nodded slowly. “Sort of.”
He kissed her again. “Leah told me you might not fully know what it would mean to be claimed. She was worried your mother didn’t inform you well.”
“Leah shared a lot with you,” Khloe murmured, uncertain if she was grateful or displeased.
He smiled. She loved his smile. “It’s not customary for Alpha Protectors to reveal who their mate is or gather as much information as I was able to. It was an accident that I found out who you were one day soon after your sister arrived a year ago. I should have let it go, but I couldn’t. I pried her for information on the regular. Please tell me yellow is still your favorite color.”
Khloe let out a giggle. “It is.”
Felix released a long-relieved breath, though she suspected he was exaggerating. “Thank goodness.”
“Did you get me something yellow?”
He laughed. “That’s an understatement, but I’ll show you later. I’m going to claim you first.”
She swallowed hard.
“I need you to trust me to take care of you and teach you what it means to be mine. I will teach you how to submit to me and how to please me.”
She nodded. “Yes, Sir.” She’d been taught to speak to him respectfully, and that lesson came to her suddenly.
“Yes, Daddy ,” he corrected.
“I won’t call you Sir?”
“You may call me Sir sometimes, Little one, but I prefer Daddy.” After another kiss, he said, “Hold on to my neck, Little one.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, but squealed when he stood in one fluid motion, his hands now holding her up by her thighs. His fingers slid farther, now resting along the sides of her sex.
“Daddy…” she whimpered.
“I love the sound of that.” He pushed the piano stool out of his way with his foot and carried her from the room. “Say it again.”
She bit her lip and stared at him.
He lifted a brow.
She released her lip. “Daddy…” Her voice sounded sultry, not like her at all.
Felix growled possessively as he entered a bedroom. She only knew this because she saw the bed in her peripheral vision.
With only a few long strides, he reached the bed and leaned over to lower her onto her back. Finally releasing her thighs, he slid his hands up her body, taking her arms with him as he continued over her biceps and eventually reached her hands.
She was breathing heavily as he held her arms above her head. She felt oddly exposed and vulnerable but not scared.
He kissed her neck. “Submit to me, Khloe. Submit to Daddy.”
“Yes, Sir,” she breathed out. She didn’t feel like there was another option.
He lifted his head and met her gaze. “I’m going to train your body to crave the feel of my hands and mouth on you, Little one. I will teach you how to accept my touch. After I fully claim you, you will understand. You will obey me because the reward for doing so will be worth it.”
She nodded. “Yes, Daddy.” She didn’t understand her reaction or her acquiescence, but she felt driven to agree and obey him. Obedience to her mate had never been a question, but something sizzled between them that was so much bigger than what she’d expected. She didn’t understand it, but she wouldn’t fight it. She couldn’t. It was larger than her. It was destined.
“I’m going to take this dress off you, now, Little one. I need to see your body.”
She furrowed her brow. “Why do you need to take my dress off?” She’d expected him to push up her skirts and thrust into her. That’s how she’d pictured their matings.
He gave her a slow smile. “You will never wear anything this restrictive again, Khloe. And when we’re alone, I will want to see every inch of your body often. I might just keep you naked for the next week.”
She gasped. “Naked?”
He chuckled. “I can’t lick every inch of your skin if you have clothes on, Little one.”
“Lick?” Her voice hitched.
“Lick, taste, eat… My mouth will cover every inch of you in the next thirty minutes. Inside and out. I’m going to make you come so many times you lose count.”
“Come?” she squeaked. She couldn’t begin to focus on his talk of eating her. Instead she grabbed onto the part she didn’t understand at all.
“Orgasm, Baby girl. Do you know what that means?”
She shook her head.
“You will soon.” He rose up and flipped her onto her stomach.
For a moment, she gasped in confusion, but then his fingers went to work unbuttoning the back of her dress. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. This was it. Whatever it meant to consummate their union was about to happen.