Chapter Eleven
Dante
We went home to his place. To my mate’s apartment over the bakery. “We can pick up your van in the morning,” I told him. “As long as you’re all right with that?”
“If Karma doesn’t mind. I’ve already caused enough commotion.”
Karma, of course, had no issues with us leaving the van and in fact suggested we leave the keys and someone else could drop it off on their way home. They had employees heading in that direction.
She was standing in front of her mate, his big arm wrapped around her shoulders. “I’ll take care of it,” he said. “I know just the delivery wolves.”
We thanked them and left in my car, grateful we didn’t have to go through the crowd in front.
The event had ended, but people were still lingering and having “one more drink,” and it was nice not to have to face them.
All evening, while we did our work, people were congratulating us on our mating.
There was no need to keep it a secret when the marking had been public.
But after a while, it was a little overwhelming.
Strangers saying, “We can always tell everyone we were at your mating.”
Our mating. We hadn’t made love, but had skipped right to the marking. “Do you think it’s weird that we marked first? Have you ever heard of that happening?” he asked, reading my mind.
“No, in fact dragons only do the alpha marking, and it’s very ceremonial and in private after making love.”
He looked disappointed, and I leaned over to plant a kiss on his cheek. “But I like our way, whatever that turns out to be. Now, your place or mine?”
“Would you mind if we went to mine? The bakery work starts early.”
“And you plan to get up to do it?” I turned on the engine and drove down the steep road. “Because I like to flatter myself that we’ll be tired in the morning.”
“Count on it,” he said, leaning back in the seat. “I can’t wait to have you inside me.”
I shuddered, fingers gripping the wheel tightly. “Keep talking like that and I’ll pull this car over, drag you onto my lap, and make your waiting less.”
“Do it if you like.”
I considered. I wanted to, I really did. “No. I want our first time together to happen in bed where we have privacy and are comfortable.”
“Since our actual marking was anything but private, that does sound nice.”
He directed me to the bakery, and I parked in back where he said he usually left the van overnight, and I went around the car and opened his door for him.
He got out, keys in hand, and led me up the stairs to his apartment.
Since there was no baking going on at the moment, the bakery windows were dark, I could still smell the yeast and scent of baking bread.
I realized there was a faint bit of that to his scent as well.
Inside the apartment, he tossed his keys on a small table by the door and closed and locked it behind us. “Um, do you want anything to eat or…”
“I only want you, omega.” I pulled him into my arms for our first private kiss. “You smell good.”
“So do you.” He rested his head on my shoulder for a moment then stepped back and took my hand. “The bedroom is this way.”
We walked together until we got to the bedroom doorway where we kissed again. “I can’t believe tonight,” he murmured, “but we’re both wearing way too many clothes.”
Something we took care of quickly. Clothing landed all over the floor, and then we were holding one another again, tumbling onto the bed, kissing and touching anywhere we could reach. “Mate, I think this first time is going to go fast.”
“I hope so.” He closed a fist around my cock and squeezed. “Because I don’t want to wait. I feel like I’ve been waiting for you forever, and now that you’re here, I don’t want to waste a minute.”
“We’ll make up for it later.” I kissed his chest, lapping at his nipples before moving to kneel between his legs. I grasped his knees and pushed them up and out. His slick gleamed under the hallway light that filtered into the room, showing me he was ready for me. “You’re so slick.”
“Then hurry. I ache for you.” He wrapped his arms around his knees, widening his stance even more. “Please, alpha. Finish making me yours.”
I’d have to be made of stone to resist that. And the only part of me that even resembled stone was my cock, which was already prodding at his tight hole. Slippery, yes, but also a very taut ring of muscle. “Omega, I should take the time to prepare you.”
“I’m ready, so ready.” He whimpered, bucking his hips. “I’ll die if you don’t fill me up.”
“I doubt that,” I chuckled, “but we’ll try.
” Gripping my cock, I positioned it, shivering as I rubbed it back and forth in the slick that thickened by the moment.
“Press down, omega. That’s it. That’s. It.
Yes.” He opened to me, slowly, the muscle relaxing, admitting me a fraction of an inch at a time.
I began to fear that I’d come before I was even all the way in.
But some deep breathing helped, at least enough for me to bury myself balls deep in my mate.
His body welcomed me, enfolded me, and after pausing again to collect myself, I began to move.
In. Out. Slowly at first and then, as my control shredded, faster and faster.
Augie writhed under me, his cock making contact with my belly until he shouted out and came, spurting cum into the air to splatter on my lower body.
The scent of it tore away the last of my restraint, and I followed him over my knot swelling and binding us together.
We’d marked out of order, but it didn’t matter. We were one now, mates, fated and true.
Rolling to the side, I took him with me and we lay together until my knot shrank, and even then, we stayed like that. Whispering secrets, getting to know one another in the most shifter way possible. After mating and marking. Now, we just had to go forward together and see where life took us.
It would be beautiful. I knew that already.
As we were drifting off, Augie’s phone rang with a text notification from Sierra. She’d be taking over the baking in the morning and wished us a good night. Rumors spread like wildfire here. But I couldn’t be unhappy about that. Not with my mate in my arms and my cock already hardening again.