Chapter Eighteen
Malone
By the time we came up for air, it was late in the afternoon. Riglan tightened his hold on me as I attempted to squirm free.
“Don’t go,” he murmured into my ear. This man who I once thought was callous was now a doting sweetheart. Maybe he was just waiting for the right person to be soft with.
“I need a shower, Rig. I’m sticky in all kinds of places.”
He chuckled low and deep, placing his mouth over the new mark on my shoulder. The branding that made me his. It tingled and made me want to do anything but get out of his bed. But as I scissored my legs in need, the aforementioned stickiness screamed for my attention.
Good stickiness but still.
“Do you want company?”
“Give me five minutes to myself and then I’d love for you to join me. I have some things to get straight in my head.”
That made him sit up straight. “Did I hurt you? Are you freaked out by the ferret thing?”
“Hey,” I said, kissing his chin. “I’m okay. And I am not freaked out. My human mind has a lot to catch up on. That’s all. Nothing bad, and yeah, I’m sore but in the best way possible. Okay?”
He nodded. “Five minutes.”
I darted into the shower where the hot water came instantly. I washed myself up and then took a few moments under the spray to work through everything that had happened. I was the omega mate of a ferret shifter. A very hot and talented and genius ferret shifter alpha.
One night really could change the course of your life. Or, in our case, day. We’d napped in between love-making sessions all day, but it was getting to be late in the afternoon now. I could see the sunset through the window in the bathroom.
Soon I heard footsteps and since there was no door on the shower, Rig waltzed right in. “I lied. You only get four minutes.”
He leaned toward me and reached for the soap and washed himself head to toe, all while keeping his gaze firmly on me.
A smile grew on his face. “Are you really okay with everything?”
“I am. A week ago, I begged for help on a forum; now, I’m mated to the man, ferret shifter alpha who blocked me and basically told me to go to hell. All is well.”
Rig shook his head and closed the distance. Our wet skin met in a different kind of intimacy. “I never did apologize for that. I’m sorry, Malone. That was mean of me.”
“You made it up to me. Four times.”
“How about I make it up to you again? I designed this shower for two with some very unclean thoughts in mind.”
“Show me, alpha.”
We emerged from the shower and got dressed only because my stomach cried out for sustenance, and Rig’s alpha nature wouldn’t let him do anything but feed me.
We ordered in from a place I hadn’t heard of. Big healthy salads arrived with fresh-baked whole wheat bread and all kinds of toppings and dressings, along with a baked blueberry cobbler.
That was for me.
Rig ordered chicken and steak skewers. Said shifting took a lot out of him especially since his big body transformed into a tiny one and back again.
We ate side by side, standing at his marble island. No shirts allowed. Or socks for that matter.
“Are you one of those people who don’t like people taking food from your plate?” I asked, my fork poised above a piece of his chicken that smelled like garlic and rosemary.
“Yes.” He kissed me on the shoulder. “But you’re not just anyone. Take what you want, omega. You’re going to need more energy for the rest of the night.”
“Oh. I’m still a bit sore.”
“Not for that, baby. We’re going to get to the bottom of this stalker of yours. I was focused in before but now…” He trailed off.
“What? Now what?”
“Now he’s messing around and threatening my mate. He won’t know what hit him once I catch up. He’ll never mess with anyone again.”
I was still wrapping my head around this mate thing. It was more serious and stable than a human marriage. “Tell me more about being your mate.”
Rig cleared the island and then picked me up to sit on it and he stood between my knees.
“Being mated means, I’m yours. Your needs and taking care of you are my priority.
I’ll protect you and love you for as long as I live and Goddess willing, after that.
We don’t cheat or divorce like humans sometimes do, remember. There’s no one else for me.”
That sounded like a happily ever after if I’d ever heard one.
“Not even hot omegas on the internet? I had a boyfriend once. He was addicted to online images and messaged them. He said it was harmless but it didn’t feel harmless to me.”
He groaned. “That’s not me. Why look at images when I have you right in front of me? I’m big on communication, okay? If you need something from me or if I do something wrong, please tell me. I know this is all fast, but we have all the time in the world to learn each other.”
“That sounds good to me. I’m yours too. I’m all yours.”
He growled, and it was the first time I’d heard him do that. “Ferrets don’t growl,” I laughed.
“No, but the alpha in me does. It means so much to me that you said you’re mine.”
“I am yours, alpha.”
Another growl.
“Should we try to sleep tonight?”
Rig laid his head on my belly and groaned.
“I need to work, but I want you with me. It’s important to my ferret that you’re near, especially because this bond is new and you were in danger not long ago.
There is a couch in my basement office. Would you mind sleeping down there while I hunt this bastard down? ”
“Your basement? Is that your lair?”
He nodded and blushed slightly. It was a beautiful sight. “Yes.”
I pressed my hand to my chest. “I get to go into the secret lair? I feel so special.”
Rig, with no warning whatsoever, threw me over his shoulder and carried me to the end of the hallway, to a door that blended in with the wall. “You’re not special. You’re everything.”