22. Hettie
Chapter 22
Hettie
I thoroughly enjoy how Rip shows his gratitude. His tongue is quickly becoming the best part about him, not that I will admit that to him. His damn ego is big enough with each orgasm he draws from me. It racks through my body, and when I finally reach my peak, I see stars.
Fucking stars, because my mate knows how to make me scream his name over and over again.
He hasn’t let me take care of him yet, though. I don’t understand why because I know he must be in pain with blue balls. I want to reciprocate, but Rip continually pushes me away. I would almost be insulted if it weren’t for the mind-blowing orgasms he gives. Fuck, can that man eat pussy like it’s going out of style.
But it’s the same treatment every night for the past three nights. He leaves me feeling weightless and satisfied, before locking himself in that bathroom. When he comes out, he looks composed, minus the glazed-over look in his eyes. Part of me wonders if he thinks he’ll lose control over his wolf if he allows me to reciprocate. I never have the opportunity to ask why he’s hidden from me the last few nights because he wraps me in his arms and promptly falls asleep. And in the morning, he’s gone, leaving only a note with a promise to see me later.
This morning starts no differently. I wake up to an empty bed—empty other than Grass, who has taken to Rip’s side of the bed when he leaves. Damn spoiled dog. Grass huffs as I push myself up, having the audacity to glare at me for jostling the bed and waking him.
“Sorry, Oh Great King.” I roll my eyes, but he’s a dog so he doesn’t reply.
I take care of my morning needs, changing into something I hope will keep me warm in the dropping temperatures. I rouse Grass out of bed—he isn’t thrilled about it—and open my door, expecting to see Thorne waiting for me.
Except Thorne isn’t here today. Neither is Tallie. Another guard, one I have only seen in passing, stands there. She gives me a curt smile. “Are you ready, Luna?”
“Yes, but where’s Thorne?”
“Alpha Thorne is in a meeting, filling in for the King Alpha,” she says like she just didn’t make the situation more confusing.
Where the fuck is Rip then?
“Will you take me to Thorne, please?”
“Yes, Luna. I’m instructed to take you to him.”
Well, that’s good at least. The woman then takes off toward the pack meeting rooms, somewhere I rarely go. Grass trots behind me, taking in everything like he hasn’t seen it a dozen times before.
My confusion only mounts when my temporary escort leads me to a closed door, knocking once. From inside, papers rustle and muffled voices speak, but I can’t make out any of them.
After what feels like a century but is probably only thirty seconds later, the door opens, and Thorne’s serene face greets me. He nods at the woman. “Thank you, Alpha Layla. You’re free to go back to your duties.”
Without another word, the woman—Layla—leaves. She clearly doesn’t want to prolong the inevitable.
Once she rounds the corner, leaving me alone with Thorne, I ask, “Where’s Rip?”
“He’s…indisposed at the moment. He wanted me to let you know he’s fine but won’t be back for the next couple of days.”
Thorne isn’t lying to me as much as he’s withholding the truth. “Yeah, that’s not going to cut it. Where is Rip? And why couldn’t he tell me himself?” Just when I thought we were making progress too. Why the hell would he just leave?
“I really can’t say more than that?—”
“Thorne, just tell her,” a familiar voice abruptly cuts Thorne off. Tallie pushes her way past her mate. If Thorne truly wanted to stop her, he could, but he seems almost relieved that Tallie is defying him.
“Where’s Rip?” I parrot, sounding like a broken record, except I don’t care—I want answers.
“Rip is at a cabin not far from here. But he’s going to remain there for a couple days,” Tallie says.
“Why? Did something happen?”
Tallie and Thorne share a glance, communicating without their voices. It’s both amazing to see and annoying as fuck because I don’t know what’s passing between them. It would be incredibly convenient if Rip and I could do the same.
“Let me tell her. Just go back in, and I’ll be there in a minute,” Tallie finally says to Thorne.
“Are you taking her to him?”
“If she wants to, but that’s her choice. We will not make it for her.”
My anxiety only continues to mount. I hate that they’re talking about me like I’m not there. Where the fuck is Rip?
Thorne hesitates, but only for a moment. “Very well. Take Layla with you, so you aren’t walking back alone.” He then leans down and presses a kiss to her lips, soft but loving. I can’t help but feel like I shouldn’t be witnessing such an intimate moment.
When they finally break apart, Tallie loops her arm through mine. “I’m not sure how much you know about wolf shifter biology, so this might not make sense to you. Rip is away because he didn’t want you to feel obligated to…uhm, join in.”
“Join in? On what?” She isn’t making any sense, and frankly, I’m tired of beating around the bush. “Tallie, I need you just to tell me. I can’t make a decision until I know what is going on.”
“I know,” she sighs. “And I encouraged him to tell you himself, but Rip can be an idiot, as most men are.”
I nod in agreement because she’s not wrong there.
“Rip is going through his rut right now.” She looks over my face, waiting for a reaction.
My face must turn four shades of red because Tallie giggles. “I take it you know what that is?”
“I mean, I’ve read about it in books…but I don’t know if it’s the same thing.” She doesn’t speak, expecting me to go on. “It’s where…it involves sex?” I squeak out, feeling like a damn virgin who just saw her first penis.
Pathetic.
“That is the simplistic nature of it, yes.” She nods. “A rut is the male equivalent of a female’s heat. The carnal desire and need to mate is at an all-time high. Sex and claiming go hand in hand. Most males will fill that need by mating with their partner, but some use Rut Escorts.”
“What’s a Rut Escort?” I could guess, but I want to hear it confirmed.
“Wolves who will help the males get through their rut. We also have Heat Escorts. But Rip isn’t with a Rut Escort,” she says quickly before my mind can think of my mate fucking someone else. Jealousy flares to life, so potent, I almost choke on it.
No one touches Rip.
No one.
He’s mine.
“He’s alone,” Tallie continues. “I told him he needed to tell you, but he didn’t want you to feel obligated to…”
“Let him fuck me?” I ask.
“Well, to put it bluntly, yeah.” Tallie shrugs. “But it’s more than just sex if it’s your mate. The connection you share with that person is intense. Your mind is consumed with the other, and only the feel of flesh against flesh will satisfy you.”
Part of me understands why Rip wouldn’t want to tell me. I appreciate his decision to not make me feel obligated, but by not telling me, he took away my choice.
Something about taking this step with Rip seems final. Like there’s no turning back after this. Do I want that? Does he? I could remain by his side as his Luna, but never his lover. Never his true mate.
But…
I could also have him. All of him. In ways no one else has.
My mind has been made up for some time now, but I’ve been too nervous to admit it to myself. I want Rip. Truly want him. And I think he wants me too.
Honestly, there’s only one way to figure that out.
“Take me to him, Tallie.”
A slow, knowing smile spreads across her red lips. “As you wish, Luna.”
I sense Rip’s heightened emotions before I see him. Tallie leads me to a private cabin not far from town. She wound her way down the wooded path, leading us past the residential homes, to a few private and well-spaced-out cabins.
Tallie refers to them as “Mating Cottages,” spaces set aside for mates or wolves with their hired escort to escape for much-needed privacy. Apparently, wolves can get loud and aggressive during their rut, and this adds an extra layer of protection if they choose it.
“Are you certain you’ll be okay?” Tallie asks as if I’m going into battle rather than about to face my extremely horny husband.
The thought of him in the cottage, hard and feral over me, makes me press my legs together. There is an underlying current of fear, but mostly I feel like, if I don’t see Rip, I won’t be able to get him out of my system.
“I’ll be fine. Will you keep Grass for me?” I love my dog, but if I’m about to get completely dominated by my ravenous mate, there’s no way in hell I want Grass to witness that.
“Of course,” she promises. “But remember, if you change your mind, you’ll need to run like hell. Call for a guard because Rip won’t be entirely in control of his body or actions.”
“Got it. If I change my mind, run away from my mate who enjoys chasing me,” I mumble. “I’ll be fine, Tallie. I want to do this.” Very badly, but I’m not going to tell his cousin that.
Tallie gives me a knowing smile. “Alright, then. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” With that, she calls for Grass, who frolics over to her. Then they leave together. I wait until they are little more than silhouettes in the distance before I force my legs to carry me forward.
Fear and excitement churn low in my belly. If I can sense him, then Rip knows I’m here too. There’s a thud and something that sounds like a grunt, then nothing at all. Taking a deep breath, I grab the doorknob and turn.
The cabin is dark. The embers are all that remain of a once-burning fire. There’s little furniture in the main room, just a large couch and a coffee table that has seen better days. A small kitchenette sits over on the left with a bowl of fruit on the counter. There’s also a hallway between the kitchen and main room leading down to what I can only assume are the bedroom and bathroom.
I take a step into the cool room, shutting the door behind me. Wood creaking snaps my attention to the darkened hallway. I feel the eyes of a predator on me, waiting for the moment I let my guard down.
“Rip?” My voice comes out breathier than I anticipate, and I’m greeted with a low warning growl.
“You shouldn’t be here, Dove.” Rip’s voice reverberates around me, sending shivers down my back. I shouldn’t feel this aroused, but I can’t help it. Not when I know my husband is barely containing himself .
“You don’t get to make that decision for me,” I retort, receiving a deep laugh in response.
“Do you lack self-preservation? I’m more wolf than human, mate. And if you stay here a minute longer, I can’t be held responsible for my actions.” Another out. A smart woman would take it.
But a needy, horny woman who wants nothing more than to be ravished by her mate stays and plays the eager prey.
“Neither can I, Alpha. Are you going to come out and play?” I’m taunting his wolf, wanting him to show his claws and teeth.
I get my wish.
Faster than I can track, a blur of darkness rushes at me. I fly back, hitting the wall with a hard thud, but Rip cushions my head with his hand. The air is knocked from my lungs, and a hand brackets my neck. Rip hovers over me, but I barely recognize him.
His pupils are blown wide, with a ring of gold around his irises. He’s shirtless, and his pants are unbuttoned, like he was in the middle of something, but I interrupted him. Though it’s dark, there’s no mistaking the bulge in his pants, outlining his perfect cock.
My mouth waters, and I moan.
The crazed look in his eyes only heightens as he smirks. “Wanton thing, aren’t you?”
“Rip—”
“No,” he snarls. “Alpha. Call me by my fucking title. Let me hear it out of those pouty lips.”
I swallow audibly, understanding what Tallie and Thorne meant when they said Rip wasn’t himself. This man before me is crass, dominant, overbearing, and undeniably sexy .
Wetness pools between my legs.
“Alpha,” I start again. “Let me take care of you.”
“Show me how you’ll service your alpha then,” he hisses.
I should feel put off by his dickish behavior, but it only turns me on more. Probably because it’s Rip and not some other man I met on the streets who is as cruel as his words. Rip cares for me, even in this state. He’s rough, but there’s still a part of him holding back. Allowing me to decide to stay or go.
I sink to the floor, on my knees.
Rip doesn’t stop me this time, like he’s done every other time. He’s finally giving in, no longer able to hide his rut from me. The hunger in his eyes only intensifies.
I finish the work of pulling down his pants, freeing him from the confines of the material. His thickness pops out. I’ve seen him nude before, but never this close and never in this position.
Rip takes my hesitancy as not wanting to continue, and he tenses, pulling back. “Hettie, you don’t?—”
“Stop making my damn decisions for me, Alpha, and get back here so I can suck your cock.”
Heat flares in his eyes, and he moves forward again. He strokes my cheek before bunching up my hair in his fist, keeping it out of my face.
“Mouth, mate,” he orders, and I’m helpless to obey. I open for him, parting my lips. With his free hand, he grabs his shaft and guides his cock to my lips. I moan, eagerly flicking my tongue out to catch the bead of pre-cum pooling at his tip.
“Fuck,” Rip groans. There’s something exceptionally sexy when he moans for me. Heat rushes through my body, and I fucking love the way it makes me feel .
He’s by far the largest man I’ve ever taken to bed, not that he has had much competition. The men I’ve slept with acted like dicks to compensate for what they clearly didn’t have.
I try to relax my jaw, breathing through my nose. He’s only halfway down, but I am already full. I gag around his length and reach up to wrap my hand around the base of his cock.
“That’s my good girl. Relax, mate. Let me take over.” He’s barely hanging on by a thread, the last of his restraint unraveling. Still, I obey, because I trust him, and let him take the lead.
Rips thrusts his hips. Nothing about him is gentle or sweet at this moment. No, he fucks my face, using my mouth for his own pleasure. It’s embarrassing and humiliating, but I can’t get enough of it. Tears pool in my eyes from his roughness. Already, I can taste his desire, knowing he won’t last much longer.
“You going to swallow for me, pet? Milk me for every last drop?” His filthy words go straight to my clit. The friction of my pants rubbing against me provides little relief. If I had been thinking ahead, I would have stripped down.
But this pleasure is about him. He’s made it about me night after night. I can take a few moments of sexual frustration.
A growl erupts through Rip’s body, and he roars into the dimly lit room. His movements become frantic, and I’m helpless to do anything other than take it.
“Fuck!” That is the only warning before a hot, salty liquid pools in my mouth faster than I can swallow it down.
His cum spills from my lips, down my chin. I can only imagine what I look like to him right now. A needy woman with her mate’s cum obscenely dripping down her body .
I swear Rip is thinking the same thing because he’s slow to pull out of my mouth. “You on your knees with my cock in your mouth is a pretty picture, Hettie. One I wish to capture again.”
When he finally leaves my mouth, I feel strangely empty. Though I can breathe much better, so that’s the tradeoff, I suppose.
Looking at Rip, I can tell that fucking my mouth didn’t even take the edge off. His pupils are still dilated, and his cock is still hard.
“This is just the start, Hettie. You wanted to join me on my rut, so that slutty mouth and pretty pussy are mine. Now strip.”
“Yes, Alpha.” The words leave my lips before I can fully register them. My body is working on autopilot as I strip for him, ready to take whatever my mate gives me.