Chapter 28

Devin’s heart hadn’t slowed since she’d touched him while he was on four paws. Never in his adult life had a woman that was not from his own family touched him while he was in wolf form. That small piece that had allowed him to hold onto his restraint had faded quickly after her hand had caressed over his coat. He didn’t think it would mean as much to him as it did, added to the fact that he knew she was his mate, and he was in trouble.

Now all he had to do was explain that he was her mate and the position he held within the community and Alliance. Devin planned to tell her, once he was sure she was ready for more.

He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she read over the archives of her family history, still surprised she was taking everything as well as she was. In the back of his mind he was waiting for her to scream and run for her car to escape the weirdness of his world.

She turned and looked at him, his heart stuttered when he noticed the tears running down her cheeks. This was not the reaction he pictured. Devin was on his feet and moving towards her before he realized he’d even stood up.

“I have cousins, aunts and uncles?”

He stopped, startled by the question before nodding slowly. “Yes.”

She jumped up and then winced when her foot touched the floor. He reached out to steady her and she looked at him, a beautiful smile on her face. “I have a family.”

Devin nodded again, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. He’d had a lifetime of family and too many people in his world. She’d only had her parents. “Once we deal with Tomas, I can take you to meet them.”

Opening her mouth, she snapped it closed it again and held her hand over it. A wild look filled her eyes. She nodded. “Yes.” Grabbing his hand, cupping it between both her small ones she smiled again. “Yes!” She started laughing and squeezed his hand. “I’ve never met any relatives, I wasn’t even sure if I had any...”

His heart swelled in his chest seeing her happy. “Believe me, you have more than enough.”

“So, I just read. Both of my parents had three siblings each, I have ten cousins!” She laughed again and then pulled him towards her.

He was just trying to adjust when she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Devin knew she was just happy, but his body didn’t care what the reason, simply she was there causing his blood to kick up the heat. Wrapping his arms around her, he let his hands glide down over her silky hair. At that point he realized he still hadn’t put a shirt on as her warm breath brushed over his skin, his body hardening even though he knew she wasn’t in his arms for that reason.

With her arms still wrapped around him, she looked up. “Thank you.” She sighed. “If it wasn’t for you, I would never know.” She rested her cheek against his chest, right over his heart. If she’d be still she could feel it pounding.

“I had nothing to do with your heritage.”

Laughing she pushed her face into his flesh. “I know. I’m just glad I pointed to a spot on a map and it brought me here.”

He blinked down at the top of her head, surprised. “That’s how you chose where you were going?” Maybe it was his creative side, but he’d pictured fate intervening at least a little bit with her showing up here.

“Yes.” She smiled, no trace of tears or sadness in her eyes.

Devin stood there smiling back at her, his body throbbing with wanting her. She was so happy he debated briefly whether he wanted to take a chance and possibly change that. He smiled at her again and lowered his face closer to hers. “I’m glad you did too.” He brushed his lips lightly over hers, testing her reaction.

A serious look crossed over her face. “Why can’t I resist you?”

He knew the answer, but wasn’t going to go there right now, not when he wanted a real taste of her sexy mouth. Leaning down again, he ran the tip of his tongue over her lips. She opened her mouth. He cupped the back of her head in one hand and pressed his lips to hers, unable to control the urgency that came over him, Devin plunged his tongue inside her mouth, almost whimpering when she didn’t object.

The taste of her filled him, taking his already aroused body and stoking more flames. Her soft mouth moved with his, as the flames engulfed his entire system. Devin wanted her in a way that made him tremble from just a kiss. Can I be with her and not claim her as my mate? He would not claim her as his own until she knew and had a choice, but he couldn’t stop either. Her hands moved over the skin on his back, urging him on. He needed to feel her pressed against him, so he wrapped an arm around her waist and straightened up, lifting her feet from the floor.

She moaned softly as his lips traveled over the soft flesh of her neck. “I shouldn’t...”

Devin nipped the sensitive spot by her shoulder. “Shouldn’t what?”

Lifting her head to look at him with lust filled eyes. “Be doing this. Until a few days ago, I was...”

He cut off the word he didn’t want to hear by crushing her mouth with his own. Mine. No one will ever touch her again. He knew where the possessive urge came from, but he knew that he couldn’t let her know or he would lose this chance. Gentling the kiss, he began to coax her lips with his, softly trying to convince her that she could trust him. When he lifted her higher on his body he expected her to protest the intimacy in the way their bodies connected, but she only wrapped her arms around his neck and held tight to him.

Knowing that only a few pieces of material between their bodies did not hinder the desire he had to feel her rubbing against his body. He pushed his throbbing hard on into her and groaned when she whimpered against his mouth. Devin felt like he was starving for her, unable to continue if he didn’t have her. If this was what it felt like to have a mate destined just for you, how did they ever leave each other’s sides?

Running his hands down over her ass, he grasped the backs of her thighs, lifting her so he could rock his body between her legs. Her knees clamped against his hips, holding her body open to him. Growling, he tore his mouth from hers and looked into her passion heavy eyes. Her breathing was as ragged as his, he knew he could carry her into the bedroom right now and have her.

Even as his brain fought through the need coursing inside, reminding him that this wasn’t the right time, he was lowering his mouth to her throat. Inhaling the scent of gardenias and how much she wanted him. Her skin was soft and warm and it sent more erotic thoughts through his mind.

Devin turned and headed towards the bedroom, afraid she’d change her mind if he lingered too long. He’d only gone three steps when her teeth nipped along his throat. Heat surged through his groin letting him know that if he didn’t get these jeans off soon they were going to rip open. He grasped the back of her head, taking a handful of hair, and pulled her mouth from his neck, if she touched him again with that mouth he was going to take her right here on the floor.

With his teeth and tongue he teased the soft skin of her throat. She ground herself into him making him want to race for his bed. His sharp senses were going insane being able to smell how wet she was. With another long stride his legs hit the bed. He wasted no time in lowering their entangled bodies to the mattress. She sucked in a breath when his weight pinned her to the bed and to his ears it was one of the most erotic noises he’d ever heard.

Devin didn’t want to release her as feelings of desperation gnawed at his guts when he lifted slightly away from the heat of her warm curves, but his brain reminded his engorged body that things wouldn’t go very far fully clothed. Assaulting her mouth with his, Devin drank in her taste once more before he raised up on his arms to look down at her.

If she still had doubts they didn’t show in her eyes, they contained the most sensual look of yes he’d ever witnessed. Moving up to kneel between her legs, he pulled her shirt up slowly and as hard as he tried to look only at her eyes, he couldn’t. Her body was absolute perfection, from the pale flawless skin of her small waist up to her small firm breasts with the hard nipples begging for his mouth. She lay there and let him pull the shirt over her head, leaving her arms over her head as the material moved from her arms. Devin didn’t think she realized what her submissive behavior did to him, making the animal inside him scream with victory.

Leaning down, he reached under her shoulders and lifted her body upright until he was kneeling with her resting in his lap. The heat of her bare skin against his took the heightened level of his arousal to its peak, the game of slow exploration was shakily nearing an end. Grasping her waist, Devin lifted her to taste her ripe breasts, she moaned and squeezed his shoulders tightly as he suckled on a taut nipple.

Reaching between their heated flesh, he ripped the button on her shorts open and then dropped both of them back to the bed. Growling with a firm nipple still in his mouth, he yanked at the waist of her shorts to get them off, she lifted her hips and let the material slide down her legs. He didn’t wait to remove them before he ran his hand up her thigh to cradle between her legs.

He stroked his fingers over her wet heat and had to struggle for control when she opened her legs wider, completely surrendering. Grasping his hair, she pulled his face back up to her mouth. Her hands moved down his back as they traveled to the waist of his jeans. She undid them and started to shove them down, Devin shifted his weight to help her and then froze when her small hand wrapped around his hard length and squeezed. Dropping his head back down, he dragged his teeth across her shoulder, every instinct inside him that wasn’t man told him to flip her over and place his mark on her, to claim her.

Devin grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand up above her head and held it there. Moving to her other arm he did the same until she was stretched out beneath him like an offering. Holding her hands firmly with one hand, he reached under her hips with his other as he lowered between her thighs. She froze and for a half a breath he thought she was having second thoughts until she lifted her hips so her wet heat was rubbing against him.

He inhaled as he lowered his mouth to her shoulder and when his teeth gently grasped the flesh there he realized how close he was to marking her, one way or the other. Moving away from the temptation quickly, he crushed her mouth as he lifted her hips and shoved into her wet folds.

She groaned into his mouth when he pushed deep and connected their bodies. A haze covered his eyes, blinding him at the feeling of completion when surrounded by her tight flesh. Devin fought to keep his control as his instincts screamed at him to claim her.

Holding still, he lifted his mouth away from hers and looked down. He wasn’t sure if he could form words, but had to make sure before continuing. “Is this...” She lifted her head up and bit his bottom lip, struggling against his hold on her hands and lifting her hips tighter into him. Devin took that as a yes, growling against her mouth as he pulled out slowly until only the tip was still inside her. She tried to pull her hands free again until he slammed into her and she moaned loudly.