Chapter Two #2
Torren hadn’t slept much since bringing his new mate home.
It would have been easy enough to slip into bed next to her, but he’d refrained.
While she was his, they were still strangers.
The fact she was an innocent thrilled his beast, but it also meant he needed to move slower than he normally would have.
Not only had she led a troubled life where she likely trusted few people, but she was completely inexperienced when it came to men.
The last few days, he’d let her remain in his bed, regaining her strength and letting the transition become complete.
The little he’d slept, he’d either passed out on the couch in the living room, or slept in the guest room.
Baxter had taken over most of the pack duties to give Torren time to bond with his mate.
Except little bonding had happened. They’d spoken, and of course she had questions, but he didn’t feel like they were really getting any closer.
She seemed nervous around him, and he wondered if she’d ever accept him.
He sat at the kitchen table, sipping his morning coffee, when he heard soft footsteps heading his way.
His beast perked up, like it did every time Olivia was near them.
She entered the kitchen, wearing nothing but his T-shirt and looking adorable with her disheveled hair and her eyes still puffy from sleep.
There was a crease down one cheek from the pillow, and yet he was captivated by her.
“If you drink coffee, there’s still some in the pot. I don’t have any of that fancy creamer stuff though,” he said. So far, she’d not asked for anything other than water.
“I like caramel syrup in my coffee,” she said. “But I can learn to like it black.”
If she wanted caramel syrup, he’d see that she got some.
Hell, she was going to need quite a few things.
Jaxon had only brought Olivia and none of her belongings, not that it sounded like she’d had any left.
She was going to need clothes, shoes, and whatever else a female required to be comfortable and claim a place as her home.
But the thought of her going into town made his beast rumble.
He hadn’t thought much of what she’d need to purchase since she’d been in the bed this entire time.
But if she was up and moving around, he’d have to rectify the clothing issue.
A growl escaped him and she froze, her eyes going wide. The coffee she’d been pouring, overflowed the mug and splashed across the counter.
“Coffee,” he said.
She blinked and seemed to come back to herself. “Sorry!”
Olivia grabbed some paper towels and cleaned up the mess, then joined him at the table.
She sipped her coffee, but couldn’t quite hide her wince at the bitter taste.
His lips twitched as he fought not to smile.
The last thing he wanted was for her to assume he was laughing at her.
Watching her try to drink coffee she obviously found distasteful because she didn’t want to be a burden made him realize that they had a lot of ground to cover if they were ever going to trust one another.
His gaze caressed Olivia, taking in her glowing skin, and way her golden hair shone brightly in the sunlight.
“You’re going to need some clothes,” he said. “Not that I have a problem with your roaming the house in my shirt, but there’s no way you’re going outside like that.”
She smiled faintly and took a sip of her coffee.
“Jaxon said your apartment was trashed. Anything you owned was destroyed. Is that right?”
Olivia shrugged. “They were all just secondhand things I picked up at the thrift store. But you’re right.
I’m going to need some clothes. Jaxon knows what I like to wear.
I could always give him my sizes and let him pick up a few things for me.
Assuming I have any money left in my account.
I’m sure the asshole who beat me stole my purse. ”
“You don’t have to worry about money,” he said. Which was apparently the wrong thing to say. Her eyes narrowed and her cheeks flushed. Her lips thinned out and compressed tightly together. She practically vibrated with anger and frustration before she shot up, knocking her chair to the floor.
“I’ve taken care of myself for a damn long time. I’m not some kept woman. If I’d wanted to sell my body for money, I’d have never bothered leaving my parents’ home.” She pointed a finger at his face, which his wolf wanted to nip. And lick. And suck. Down, boy. “I will pay my own damn way.”
Torren knew he needed to tread carefully.
Knew it. Obviously didn’t possess the sense to actually do it though.
Instead, he stood, rounded the table, and scooped Olivia into his arms before carrying her down the hall.
She must have been stunned for a moment because she hung limply.
But the closer they got to the bedroom, the more she fought, beating on his back and calling him names.
“Put me down, you overgrown cretin! I’m not a sack of flour, asshole.” Her fists pounded against Torren again. He merely shifted her weight and kept going.
When he reached their bedroom -- yes, their bedroom -- he sat down on the edge of the mattress then upended her over his lap.
Torren jerked the shirt up to expose the most gorgeous ass he’d ever seen, then his hand cracked hard enough against her white skin that it turned pink.
He’d swatted her four times before he even realized what the hell he was doing, and froze in one of those oh shit moments.
He’d never lost control like that with anyone before, and he hated that he’d done that to his mate.
Not once in his thirty-one years had he ever struck a female.
“Olivia, I…” His hand was still raised and Torren slowly lowered it, intent on lowering her shirt and standing her upright. But she moaned, and it wasn’t a pained moan. Hell, it had to have been sexiest sound he’d ever heard, then she started to squirm on his lap.
Torren rubbed her pink ass cheeks, and as his hand traveled a little closer to the junction of her thighs, he couldn’t seem to help himself anymore.
He brushed over her slit, and groaned at how fucking wet she was.
Holy hell! She might have fought him the entire way to the bedroom, but there was no denying she’d enjoyed her spanking.
He teased her pussy, lightly rubbing his fingers up and down her slit, moisture slicking them.
She fidgeted some more, spreading her legs a little further.
The scent of her arousal teased Torren’s nose and his beast rose to the surface.
His vision shifted as his fangs extended, and a rumble filled his chest. His wolf wanted out!
Wanted to claim their mate properly. Torren parted the lips of her pussy and rubbed against her clit.
It was hard and begging for attention. His cock strained against his zipper as he slowly rubbed her, her scent growing stronger the closer she got to coming.
“Torren,” she said softly, pressing her face against his leg. She wrapped her hand around his calf, and submitted completely.
He kept stroking, kept rubbing until she cried out her release, drenching his fingers.
It was almost more than Torren could take.
Standing up, he flipped her face down onto the bed, then pulled her up onto her knees.
He buried his face in her pussy, his tongue flicking and tasting, lapping up all her cream.
Her thighs trembled and soon she was coming a second time.
Torren’s wolf nudged at him, wanting him to claim her in all ways.
Torren quickly stripped out of his clothes and gripped her hips.
His body tensed as he fought for control.
He’d heard that it sometimes hurt the first time for a female, and he didn’t want to cause her pain.
“Torren, please,” she begged.
He rubbed his cock up and down her slippery pussy before slowly sinking inside of her.
Torren felt her stretch to accommodate him, and soon he was buried balls deep.
He groaned as claws tipped his fingers and his beast pushed harder at him.
Olivia whimpered, but it didn’t sound like she was in pain.
As much as he wanted to make this last, he knew it wasn’t possible. Not this time.
“Tell me if I hurt you,” he said, his voice more beast than man.
She pressed back against him, and Torren’s control snapped.
He growled as he gripped her tight and began pounding into her pussy.
He took her hard, fast, and as deep as he could get.
The bed moved across the floor with every stroke, and sweat slicked their skin.
Olivia made the sweetest, sexiest sounds he’d ever heard, and soon she was coming again, coating his cock with her juices as she cried out his name.
Torren buried his fangs into her shoulder again as his hips jerked against her, thrusting until every drop of cum had been wrung from his balls.
He growled again, his cock deep inside of her, and slowly he pulled his fangs free.
He lapped at the blood on her shoulder, then lightly trailed kisses across her shoulders and up her neck.
He hadn’t bitten hard enough for her to scar this time, but his beast had needed another taste of her.
“Mine,” he said, pride filling him, along with a contentment he’d never felt before.
“Yours,” she said, nearly breathless.
Torren couldn’t bring himself to pull out just yet, and he held her tight as he rolled to his side. They stayed connected as he listened to her heartbeat, and waited for her breathing to slow.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t gentler,” he said.
“It was perfect,” she said.
“Did I… did it hurt?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know. If he’d hurt her, he’d never forgive himself.
“It pinched a little at first, and burned a bit until I got used to you being inside of me. But it didn’t really hurt. Not like you read about in romances sometimes. Probably helped that I was born without a hymen.”
His hands tightened on her. “Born without one?”
She nodded. “My mother made me get an exam when I turned fourteen. I think she was preparing even then to sell me to the highest bidder. The doctor informed her that I didn’t have a hymen, and since I’d never had sex, it meant I’d likely been born without it.
I’ve heard sometimes they can tear for other reasons though. ”
“How did your mother react?” he asked.
“She took me home and beat me. She didn’t believe that I hadn’t had one, and insisted I’d been a slut and given my virginity away.”
He growled again. “Remind me to pay a visit to your parents.”
“No. I don’t even want to think about them. They’re dead to me.”
“Fair enough. But if they ever come looking for you, they won’t be leaving.”
She shivered and he hoped he hadn’t scared her, but he’d been deadly serious. If her parents ever showed their faces on pack land, he’d tear them limb from limb and have them buried someplace no one would ever find the bodies.
“I know you want to pay your own way, but I want to buy you the clothes and things you need, and before you argue, hear me out. Wolf shifters are different from humans. I’m not trying to be an asshole and keep you under my thumb.
It’s my duty, and my privilege, to take care of my mate and my pack.
The beast inside of me wants to protect you, to make sure you never want for anything.
I’m not trying to control you, Olivia. I’m trying to take care of you.
The way a shifter should take care of his mate. ”
She sighed. “Maybe I overreacted a teensy bit. I’ll let you buy me some essentials, but if any of my money is left, I want to use it to help out here. Buy groceries or whatever.”
“We can talk about finances later. Right now, we should get cleaned up, then I need your sizes so I can send someone for clothes and shoes. As much as I don’t like the idea of you going around town, I don’t want to keep you on lockdown either.
If you’d like to go pick out your own things, I’ll take you, or send my Beta with you. ”
“Not Jaxon?” she asked.
“No. He’s too young, inexperienced, and just…” He sighed. “He’s too much like a damn puppy most days. He’s not enough protection for you.”
“Fine. Then I want you to take me.”
He nodded and kissed her shoulder again before slowly easing out of her.
Torren helped her stand, then spent the next hour letting all the hot water disappear as he claimed her all over again in the shower.
By the time they were dressed and he had dispatched someone to buy proper clothes for her, his mate was tired and fell asleep curled up in a chair in the living room.
Torren brushed the hair off her cheek and smiled softly as he watched her. He’d thought his life was cursed after what happened with Gwen, but it seemed he’d been blessed after all. He only hoped he didn’t do something to fuck it all up.