Chapter 17
Dorian
“Do you want me to confirm what you already know or should I say something cute and distract you with a kiss?” His ridiculous response was the answer I knew was coming. “We’re in my favorite part of the forest, so I could distract you with more than just a kiss.”
Really?
Shoot.
He grinned.
I needed to work on keeping a blank face.
“We’re far enough out I could chase you through the woods and claim you like a needy omega.” His eyes sparkled with what I thought was his wolf side showing through as he leaned down and kissed my neck. “I’ve seen enough of those books to know what a naughty omega would look like.”
On one hand it was good that I didn’t have anything like that to worry about, but on the other, he’d chase me through the woods and claim me?
“I’d strip you down and get you ready, then you’d escape your Alpha and I’d have to chase you.” Nibbling up my neck, he made a pleased sound as I shivered. “When I finally caught you, your heart would be pounding and I’d pin you to the ground to claim you.”
Really?
Swallowing was harder than it should’ve been but that was probably because his teeth kept sending mixed signals through me. “What…what does claiming mean? If…if there’s no omegas then there isn’t a knot, right?”
How much had the books gotten right?
Oh.
That laugh.
“I can smell how much you want to be knotted. You’re not just a sexy man, I think you’re a naughty sub.” Braun’s arms tightened around me as I shivered and my legs went wobbly. “An Alpha’s mate is always the balance of what they need. Always, Wolfchen.”
Always?
Well, he needed someone to manage his life…he wasn’t getting fed on his own and I was very good at handling difficult situations.
“What…what kind of things would your mate be your balance for?” Yes. That was a better way to address it. “I’m…I’m kind of boring.”
That was what my last few dates had said anyway.
“Just because you haven’t shared your wicked side doesn’t mean it isn’t there.” Braun’s teeth found my ear but it was his tongue tracing around the shell that had me barely holding a whimper back. “I’m your mate, Wolfchen. There isn’t anything you can’t tell me.”
His mate.
“You can feel it already.” He seemed so confident about that I couldn’t help nodding. “You knew I was coming for you before I’d texted you back, didn’t you?”
Had I known it?
“I was just confident…you…you inspire confidence.”
Right?
“In my pack, yes, but you’re not just pack are you, Wolfchen?” Before I could respond, he kept scrambling my brain. “You want to take care of me and boss me around and you want me to push up against those walls that are hiding all your desperate desires.”
“Humans are…we’re logical in relationships. We don’t dream about being chased or held down. We’re practical.” At least that was what everyone told me growing up. “We grow up and we find a good partner. I’m a good partner.”
I didn’t talk about the strange people around me and I didn’t ask dates to do inappropriate things to me. I was a good partner and didn’t make people uncomfortable.
“A good partner gives their mate what they need, don’t they?” Nodding earned a pleased hum that was lower than any human could make. “That’s right. You’ve already started giving me what I need without my even having to ask. You just knew how to take care of me and how to help me put up boundaries.”
He needed me…there was no doubt about that.
“I’ve always known my mate would be needy and wicked, though.” His hands slid down my back as he went back to licking and nibbling on my neck. “I knew he’d be sexy and smart. I knew he’d love being held down and claimed.”
What…what did that word mean?
“My mate is smart and capable of anything, but he needs his Alpha to take control sometimes, doesn’t he?” I wasn’t sure how I should’ve responded but whimpering probably wasn’t it. “Yes, you’re going to be my good mate and show me how needy you are.”
He decided to give me a push in the right direction as his hands cupped my ass and squeezed, rocking me into him. “Such sexy sounds. Yes. Show me how much you need me, Wolfchen.”
No one had ever said anything like that to me before.
“I…” I was probably supposed to say something but he cut off my ability to think when he ground my cock into his thigh. “That’s…”
“Yeah, that’s what you needed.” He did the low growling sound again and his chest vibrated as it went through me like an electric shock. “Do you want bruises on this sexy ass, Wolfchen? Do you want to feel me later?”
I shouldn’t.
That wasn’t practical at all.
Shoot.
I had to stop making that sound.
“That’s my good mate.” Braun’s fingers tightened, scrambling the last few brain cells I’d been desperately clinging to. “You’re going to feel me later every time you sit down. It won’t be quite as good as being claimed but you’re going to love wearing my marks.”
Marks?
I couldn’t resist pushing back against his tight fingers and he couldn’t seem to resist rocking me against him, so I wasn’t humping him. “What…what kind of marks do you want to give me?”
He was right…a good mate should support their partner.
“Oh, there are so many ways to mark my mate.” His teeth seemed to be doing their best to give me a good example, but he left me moaning as one hand came up and weaved his fingers through my hair.
The trapped feeling it sent through me was like nothing I’d ever felt and it only got more intense as he tipped my head back.
“Open the front of your shirt, Wolfchen. Let me see where I’m going to mark you first.”
Wow.
Dates just didn’t do that.
Mates were different, though.
Not human meant not human dating standards.
“Yes. That’s my good mate.” Braun nearly purred the words out but his hold was still tight and was making my brain floaty. “All you have to do is relax for me and let me mark you.”
Mark me.
Because I was his mate.
“That’s right, Wolfchen, and my mate wants to wear my mark.” Braun’s voice got lower and something about it had my eyes closing as I barely tugged against his tight hold. “You belong to me, don’t you? You can fight. Let me feel you.”
Permission should’ve made it feel silly but I found myself squirming against him and moaning as his almost painful grip sent waves of pleasure through me. “I can’t…you’re so…”
Big.
He was so big and strong.
“You can’t get away from me.” It should’ve sounded scary since he had me trapped against him, but it was the sexiest thing I’d ever heard. “You’re mine and all you have to do is give me what I want. Isn’t that right?”
I might’ve nodded. I thought about it but my hands were shaking and it took all my concentration to work the buttons on my shirt.
But Braun’s low moan and the way his body seemed to vibrate around me kept me from shattering into a million pieces.
“You’re going to be such a good mate for me. Moan again, Wolfchen. Let me hear you.”
That was an easier order to obey.
An order.
I should’ve told him…something…but he was my mate and I didn’t want him to question what he needed.
“Beautiful, Wolfchen.” As I wondered if he meant me or my moan, he tilted me back and held me with a strength that showed just how not human he really was. “You’re going to be even more perfect wearing my mark, mate.”
His mate.
My legs definitely weren’t holding me up any longer but with his thigh between my legs that wasn’t a problem.
Oh wow.
Lips wrapped around one nipple as his hand dug into my ass and I knew I was going to feel him everywhere tomorrow. I couldn’t help bucking against him but that just made his strength more obvious and made me feel helpless.
The word wasn’t right because there was nothing scary in the crazy whirl of emotions he was sending through me. I’d never felt anything like it, though, and when he added his teeth and white-hot pleasure that fired through me, I exploded.
I could feel myself shaking and heard myself cry out as I bucked against him, but he kept up the never-ending pleasure until I was boneless against him.
When he’d forced every drop of pleasure from me, he pressed a kiss right over my nipple and straightened enough to wrap himself around me.
“Ancestors above, Wolfchen, you’re beautiful. ”
The whispered words kept embarrassment at bay but nothing could stop my questions. “That wasn’t a hickey. Can I do that to you? What did you do? Was I supposed to come?”
He chuckled against my neck, giving me another kiss and sounding very pleased with himself. “I marked my mate.”
He was such a drama queen.
“What does that mean?” Ugh. “Sit down.”
Braun was still chuckling as he lowered us to the ground, and kept his arms wrapped around me tight as he settled me on his lap. “Okay, um. Think of it like a temporary magical hickey.”
Good grief.
He looked too pleased with himself to feel any remorse for giving me a magical hickey, so I decided to get my questions answered first and lecture later. “What does it do?”
Barely stroking one finger over my nipple sent a shockwave through me and it was almost like he’d made me come again a second time. “Fuck.”
“Oh, my sexy math teacher has a potty mouth. Naughty mate.” Still wearing an ear-to-ear grin, Braun kissed my forehead as the shivers faded. “It’s a little way of letting our mates carry us around with them.”
Like a hickey.
Before my brain caught up with reality, his expression turned serious. “I promise to only put them on areas that are covered by your clothes.”
Oh.
“I hadn’t even thought about that.” I should have. “Um, thank you.”
He kissed my nose as I blinked and tried to get my brain back in full working order.
“Young mates who haven’t had the time to work on their self-control have a tendency to mark each other in crazy places.
Manners dictate we ignore it completely, but I am old enough that self-control is not an issue. ”
“You made me come in the forest, Braun.” There, I’d found my frown. “I’m not sure that counts as self-control.”
His shrug said he didn’t agree with me. “I didn’t take your clothes off and I didn’t try to talk you into actually running from me. I think I was amazing.”
Running from him?
“That wasn’t just…I mean…is that really…” Okay, maybe I hadn’t found all my brain cells yet. “You know what I mean.”
Nodding, he ran his hand over my head and snuggled me closer against him so I was resting my cheek on his shoulder. “Humans call it primal play. It’s not part of the mating bond or anything like that with us, but I’ve always fantasized about chasing my mate.”
Primal play.
Good grief.
I’d mated a wolf who wanted to chase me down.
“That’s the plot of a romance novel.” He kept saying we weren’t living in one and then he’d do something to prove it wrong. “Probably a lot of them.”
He chuckled because he was ridiculous. “What has my dirty mate been reading? I’m shocked.”
Brat.
“I’m really your mate? Like bonded together with magic kind of thing or is that just another word for marriage?” Had he explained that? “I’m sticky and I have questions. When did you know? Are you going to want to do this every time we go on a walk?”
I was going to need to start packing tissues at the very least.
“Stand up, Wolfchen.” One day I was going to stop obeying him first and thinking second but it didn’t look like today was the day. “That’s my good mate.”
He was going to have to stop praising me if I was going to get a handle on that obey first nonsense.
“Stop that. I don’t know why I did that.” I should’ve just sat back down instead of straddling his legs, but when he reached for my pants, my brain turned off again. “I always ask questions first.”
What was he doing?
Why was he unbuttoning my pants?
“I think your brain works overtime constantly and sometimes it needs to be able to turn off.” It wasn’t until he tugged down the front of my pants and briefs that I realized he was getting me at least slightly naked.
He was definitely succeeding at the turn my brain off thing.
“Your mind knows you’re safe with me, so it’s letting me take charge.” Lapping at the head of my cock, he had my eyes nearly rolling back in my head as he cleaned off my cum. “You’re always in control and watching out for everyone else. This is when you get to let go and let me take over.”
“I’m…I’m supposed to submit.” That was what he was talking around. “I’ve…I…I don’t do that.”
And I was going to tell him that very clearly once he stopped cleaning my dick so I could think.