Chapter 5
Elijah
The two of us were meant to be. Fate had decided that. She was made for me.
She was sheer and utter perfection. There was absolutely nothing more I could have asked from her. With every moan, every soft sigh, every wistful smile that she didn’t know she made, it was as if she had been created from every dream and fantasy I could have ever asked for.
Her body was flush against mine. She fit me like a glove. I dragged my fingertips up and down her spine and her lips opened with a soft sigh of contentment against my throat.
The mating bond pulsed inside my heart. I’d read about it.
Sometimes, my men would talk wistfully about the possibility of ever experiencing one when we were killing time at a stakeout or late at night at a poker table.
I’d never thought I’d be lucky enough to find mine and to know that she was right under my nose this whole time was almost a little saddening, so I squeezed her to me tighter.
Her breathing had leveled out and soon enough, I could tell she had fallen asleep in my arms. I pressed my lips gently against her temple, wanting to savor every moment with her.
I knew that I would never let another man touch her.
If anyone ever hurt her, I would rip their heart out right through their throat. I couldn’t imagine a day without her.
When the mate bond was in play, there was no dating or falling in love slowly. It was fast, savage, and brutally hard.
I’d been a man solely focused on loyalty. I followed orders and I got the job done no matter what it took. I’d taken out my fair share of men along the way, human or vampire. On rare occasions, I’d even taken care of a few shifter packs that dared to tread on our territory.
Now, though, none of that seemed important.
Ashleigh trembled faintly in my arms. I reached to the side while disturbing her as little as possible, grabbing a blanket off the foot of the bed.
I quickly wrapped her whole body with it and her quivering slowed down until it disappeared entirely.
I would have stayed there like that with her forever until a knock sounded on my door.
I adjusted the blanket around Ashleigh, making sure that she was covered. She didn’t stir in my lap.
“Come in,” I called out softly.
The door swung open slowly, the hinges squeaking just a little in the process. Theo ducked his head in, and I nodded in greeting.
“Amir sent a message. He will prepare a convoy for us to leave first thing in the morning. Be prepared to leave at ten a.m.,” he explained quietly. He kept his voice down and the sleeping bundle in my lap never stirred.
“A convoy?” I questioned.
“Yes,” he answered simply.
“For how many?” I pushed.
“There’s about one hundred of us that want to follow you, boss,” he replied.
I was taken aback for a second before I nodded.
“You will be a better alpha than Amir could ever dream of being. We all have faith in you.”
I stared back at his hard brown eyes. Theo was often sarcastic, even in the face of danger.
Once, he’d walked straight up to a vampire holding a gun loaded with silver bullets and put his finger directly over the end of the barrel.
He’d dared the man to take the shot, but to be careful where he aimed because he might enjoy it.
The vampire had frozen just long enough for Theo to get close enough to separate his head from his torso.
It had been a sight to see.
“I want guards posted. Take shifts and make sure everyone gets their rest tonight. I want them on their toes tomorrow. I don’t trust Amir as far as I could throw him. He has never granted anyone exile before and we need to be prepared if he decides to throw anything at us,” I warned.
“Consider it done, boss,” Theo replied with a grin. He glanced down at the top of Ashleigh’s head and then back to me.
“Taking her might mean repercussions, Elijah,” he said gently. His eyes searched mine, full of concern, but he posed no challenge whatsoever.
“She is more than worth it, Theo. If the men are to follow me, they will have to accept their alpha’s mate,” I answered. “It’s just that simple.”
“I understand, alpha,” he replied seriously.
“One last thing, Theo. See to it that Ashleigh’s things are packed. Bring a bag of clothes for her to me so that she may dress in the morning,” I said quietly. He nodded once and lowered his eyes.
He bowed his head and left the room. Ashleigh finally stirred in my arms and lifted her head.
Her cheeks pinkened when she realized that she’d fallen asleep in the comfort of my lap.
Her embarrassment caught her by surprise, and she worked hard to quickly replace it with indignation.
She tried to pull away and I didn’t let her.
I allowed my hand to slide down her back, over the blanket to her backside. I could still feel the heat my belt left behind and she stiffened just a hair. I simply used my fingers to lightly circle the small of her back several times and after a few moments, she relaxed once again.
I wrapped my arms around her and stood up. With much care, I tucked her under the covers and brushed the hair out of her face.
“I should wash up,” she muttered, trying to sit back up. I pressed her back down firmly as I crawled into bed beside her.
“No. Tonight, I want my seed marking your skin. I want you to go to sleep knowing you’re mine,” I whispered, and she shivered against me. The scent of her arousal on the air was fresh again and I pulled her in flush against my frame.
I reveled in the fact that she didn’t fight me.
There were small signs that she was comforted by my presence.
Her back arched, not a lot, only slightly.
Her body curled against mine as I wrapped myself around her, using my body heat to keep her warm and her small fingers found my own.
She clutched at them like she never wanted to let them go.
My heart throbbed with hope.
Yesterday, I’d been nothing more than a foot soldier in the Crimson Shadows mafia family. Today, I’d claimed my mate. Tomorrow, I would become an alpha of my own pack with her at my side.
I closed my eyes, happy and content.
* * *
The next morning, I opened my eyes to see the early morning rays of the sun cutting through the dark gray fabric of the curtains. I blinked away my sleepiness, but there was a part of me that didn’t want to let the sleeping woman in my arms go. It still felt too soon.
I muffled a groan as I glanced at the clock on the wall. We would have to get moving and soon.
She was still fast asleep, so I reached up and brushed the hair from her face.
I kissed the side of her neck, softly at first as she slowly began to respond.
She sighed quietly and nestled in closer to me as if she didn’t really want to get up either.
With a reluctant groan, she rolled against me, and I grasped her chin firmly. I made her kiss me.
To my surprise, she kissed me back without a moment’s hesitation.
That made me want to devour her even more. I ravaged her with my kiss, and a deep-seated hunger within me flared to life. I’d never see another woman again. I would never want for another because the only one in my life was her now.
I growled as I kissed her, and she moaned right into my mouth. I swallowed her sounds and when I finally pulled back far enough to allow her to breathe, her face was flushed.
“It’s time to wake up, little wolf,” I purred, and that beautiful blush deepened.
I would be the only one to ever see it. I knew that now. She was mine and I planned to keep every beautiful piece of her surrender to myself.
I kissed her again, only this time I was rougher, more insistent and she responded so very beautifully.
Her chest arched toward me, and I wound my arm around her back and pulled her against me hard.
She gasped and I deepened the kiss, possessing her completely in that single moment. She quaked with pleasure beneath me.
“Now that you’re awake, we can take a shower,” I offered, and her bottom lip protruded just slightly in an adorable pout. Her thighs tensed beneath me. She didn’t breathe a word of confirmation, but I didn’t need it. I could smell it.
She was soaked. She’d come several times for me yesterday, but that was the power of the mate bond. It would never be enough, and I felt exactly the same way.
“You can be a good girl for me and get up and shower, or we can start the morning with a trip over my knee,” I warned her, and her cute pout grew a bit bigger.
Even though I wanted to stay in bed as much as she did, the longer we stayed the more time Amir had to plan something that would put us all in danger. We had to leave and soon.
When she didn’t make any effort to move, I grasped her wrist and jerked her hard enough to put her exactly where I’d threatened. My big palm settled on top of her right bottom cheek, and she stilled. Oddly though, she made no effort to escape me.
It was as if she wanted a spanking. My cock was hard as a spike.
When I’d made the threat before, I hadn’t exactly intended on following through, but I was only a man. I couldn’t resist something like this. I couldn’t fight the temptation of her.
I decided to test her. If she needed a spanking, she would get one.
“You’re my mate now, Ashleigh, and when I give you a directive, I expect your obedience,” I scolded lightly. I rubbed over her bare bottom, admiring the pale pink marks that my belt had left behind last night.
“Yes, alpha. I’ll do better next time,” she replied.
“Will you get up and take a shower with me like a good girl or do I need to redden your bottom, little wolf?” I pressed. Her hips wiggled slightly, legs falling open just enough so that I could see the glistening arousal on her thighs.
“I don’t want to get up,” she whined. I had to hide my smirk. My belt had done nothing to quiet her feistiness, not that I thought it would.
It simply released something within her that she’d never known about herself. She liked when a man took control. Deep inside, she craved it.