Chapter 3
LEYTON
Ihated to bother Aaron and Cressida when they were celebrating the birth of their first pup, but my grizzly was about to lose his shit because we hadn’t caught a glimpse of Evette for the past hour.
It only took one look at the gorgeous nurse to know she was meant to be mine.
When her delicious scent filled my nostrils and my cock hardened, it only confirmed what I already knew to be true… I found my fated mate. Finally.
Thank fuck that I had parked behind Aaron’s vehicle, or our paths might not have crossed for years. If ever.
Cressida’s stay at the hospital was bound to be short since shifters healed quickly.
And she had an added advantage due the uniqueness of her animal.
If baby Andrew needed any extra medical attention, she was better equipped than anyone to help him.
That unicorn horn of hers was a miracle, which was why it was a well-kept secret by our pack.
Keeping an eye out for my wayward mate, I headed toward Cressida’s room.
Opening the door as quietly as possible, I found Aaron sitting at her bedside, looking happier than I’d ever seen him.
After all the wolf shifter had been through, I was thrilled that he’d found his happily ever after.
And I knew he’d want me to have mine too.
If anyone would understand the single-mindedness I was feeling toward my mate, it was him.
Cressida and the baby were sleeping, so I whispered, “Have you seen the nurse recently?”
He shook his head. “Not the one you’re asking about.”
I should’ve known that my pack mates wouldn’t have missed my reaction to the pretty blonde, even amid the chaos of Cressida being in labor. “Shit.”
He jerked his chin toward the dry-erase board on the wall to my left. “A new one came in a few minutes ago and said she’s assigned to us for the next shift. Erased Evette’s name and replaced it with hers.”
“Fucking hell,” I growled, scrubbing my palm down my face. “I gotta find her.”
“I have no doubt you will.”
My nostrils flared as I caught a trace of her scent in the room. “Damn straight. My grizzly is ready to hunt her down if we have to.”
“She couldn’t have gone far if she works here,” he pointed out. “And you might find that you’re lucky her shift is over when you find her.”
My brows drew together as I gaped down at him. “What in the hell do you mean by that?”
He grinned at me. “The new nurse mentioned that she’s on for the next twelve hours.
Just in case you needed the intel, I asked her how often they work if their shifts are that long.
Three days on, four days off. So maybe you’ll have enough time with Evette to get her comfortable with the idea of shifters and fated mates before she needs to come back to the hospital.
Those early days of your mating can be brutal with your inner animal wanting to be near your woman every waking minute.
And the sleeping ones too. A strong bond is the only thing that helps when you’re apart. ”
“Fuck,” I groaned, my bear raking the inside of my skin with his claws at the thought of being away from our mate for so many hours at a time.
It didn’t matter that we hadn’t mated or marked Evette yet.
As far as he was concerned, she was already ours.
And he didn’t want to share. I couldn’t even blame him because I felt the same.
“That helps too,” he joked.
I assumed he was right, but I wouldn’t know until I could sink my cock inside my mate. I’d never felt desire before, so the entire experience was new to me. But I had no doubt that I’d figure it all out. Once I found the only woman who made my heart race and my dick hard.
Storming out of the hospital room, I followed Evette’s scent outside to the employee parking lot. Then I headed to my truck and rolled down the windows as I traced her path to the highway. “Where in the fuck is she going?” I muttered after driving past about a dozen exits.
It took an hour before I found the vehicle that was heavy with her scent, parked in a hotel lot of all places. Walking inside, I nodded at the guy behind the registration counter and kept on walking as though I knew where I was headed. And using my keen sense of smell, I did.
Evette’s scent led me straight to her door. After rapping my knuckles against the hard surface, I soothed my inner beast while we waited for her to answer. It only took a moment for the door to fling open, and there she was…the other half of my soul.
Her dark blond hair was out of the ponytail she’d been wearing earlier, hanging down her back in a flow of curls.
Her glasses weren’t perched on her nose like they’d been at the hospital.
In this lighting, her freckles were even more noticeable against her pale skin.
And her bright green eyes held a mixture of surprise and relief.
I hoped the latter part meant she already felt our connection.
And that she would accept who we were to each other.
“Leyton?” she gasped. “What in the world are you doing here?”
“I’m here for you.”
Pressing her palm against her chest, she shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
“Can I come in and explain?” I did my best to look non-threatening, which wasn’t easy with how big I was. “I swear you won’t come to any harm from me. Ever.”
“Umm…yes. I guess that would be okay.”
She stepped to the side to allow me to pass by her. Once I was inside, she let the door close behind her and turned to me. “This is so weird. As surprised as I was to find you at my door, a part of me was almost expecting it.”
“I thought about waiting until you showed up at the hospital for your next shift, but I’m guessing it was a good thing I didn’t, or else I might never have seen you again.” My teeth ground together at the thought. “And that would’ve been more than a damn shame.”
“The spark of chemistry. You feel it too?” she whispered, her pretty eyes widening.
I nodded. “Except I’d call it more of a magnetic pull than a spark.”
“Yes,” she agreed, moving close enough to press her palm over my heart. “It’s the oddest thing, but I feel as though we’ve known each other forever. It’s almost as if you being here with me is just…right. I don’t know how to explain it. I’ve never experienced anything like this before.”
“Neither have I.” Although I had the benefit of knowing exactly why there was a connection between us. But since she was human, I had to ease her into the knowledge.
I knew next to nothing about Evette except that she was fated to be mine. And that my heart thrummed harder in my chest whenever she was near.
So did my cock.
Her lips curved into a satisfied smile at my confession, and what she did next shocked the fuck out of me. Going to her tiptoes, she wrapped the front of my shirt into her fists and pulled me close. When her lips crashed against mine, all the air left my lungs, and I felt as if I was floating.
Lost in her touch.
At first, she was hesitant. Her lips closed with little pecks, and when her tongue tentatively swiped against the seam of my mouth, I let out a guttural groan deep in my throat as my lips parted. Then I took over the kiss, my tongue sweeping inside her sweet mouth to tangle with hers.
This was the desire all mated shifters talked about. I was finally experiencing it for myself.
“Leyton,” she whispered my name like a prayer as my kisses trailed down her neck.
She backed up, her knees hitting the bed before she tumbled backward, taking me with her.
I kept on kissing, wanting to taste every bit of her, and she wasn’t stopping me.
I knew I had to because there was so much that needed to be said. But I couldn’t. I wanted all of her and more.
Hovering over her, I balanced on my elbows as she splayed her beautiful body over the hotel comforter. Her smell was intoxicating; I wanted to devour all of her.
I might never have been with a woman until Evette, but I wasn’t surprised by the possessiveness that took over with her. She was fated to be mine, after all.
My lips trailed down her neck and to her collarbone.
She was still in her scrubs, fitting loosely around her body. As she leaned back on the bed, the hem of her shirt lifted, revealing a smattering of freckles on her pale stomach—ones I wanted to trace with my tongue.
My heart hammered in my chest as my lips hovered over her soft belly, her smell filling my nostrils.
Inhaling deeply, I took her scent into my lungs, and it soothed my inner beast. A little, at least. Just enough to stop myself from ripping the clothes from her body to rut inside her tight pussy while I sank my teeth into her shoulder, marking her as mine forever.
But I couldn’t hold back from getting a small taste anymore. Pulling down her pants, I moaned as I peered down at the little white lace panties barely covering her.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I murmured, breathing just above her clothed pussy.
She giggled, her whole body shaking underneath me, and it was the cutest damn thing.
“I don’t think anyone has ever told me that except for my parents. Not that I ever really had anyone around to say something like that anyway since I’ve been…um…too busy to date.”
I gripped the sheets, trying to keep my anger in check.
I was torn between wanting to rip everyone in her life to shreds for not telling her how special she was each day and relief that no man had gotten close enough to enjoy her beauty before me.
Although humans fated to be a mate didn’t feel desire for anyone else, it wasn’t unusual for them to have relationships before they learned about shifters.
They couldn’t be blamed when they didn’t understand why they were incapable of physical passion. But that didn’t stop my inner beast from thumping his chest at the knowledge that Evette was mine and only mine.
“You are. And I’ll tell you every fucking day if I have to.” I locked onto her heated stare as I kissed her pussy through her panties, already wet and so ready for me.
Pressing my lips to her again, I inhaled deeply, relishing in the feel of her thighs vibrating around me.
“Please, touch me, Leyton. I want you to,” she whispered, her hips bucking toward my face.
I wanted to devour her. To taste every bit of her sweet pussy that was calling to me.
She was my fated mate, after all.
She didn’t know that yet, though. So I couldn’t let this passion burn too hot until she understood what was happening between us. But I could relieve some of the pressure for her.
Determined to give my fated mate everything she needed, I peeled the lacy fabric away from her sweet pussy. Then I bent my head to drag my tongue through her wetness. Her flavor exploded across my taste buds, and I was instantly addicted.
I licked, sucked, and nipped until she writhed beneath me.
“Leyton! Oh yes!” she cried, her fingers digging into my scalp. “I’m so close.”
“Come for me, baby,” I murmured against her damp flesh before devouring her again.
Her hips undulated against my face, her pussy riding my tongue to completion. I drank every drop of her sweetness, licking my lips to make sure I didn’t waste any.
When she was done, it took everything I had to sit up, closing my eyes as I let out a deep breath. When I opened them again, I was stunned to find her sound asleep.
Judging by the dark circles under her eyes, I knew my mate needed her rest. That came first, so our talk could wait until tomorrow. After I’d spent the night with her exactly where she belonged, by my side.