Gathering Their Mates Read online

  “Good. Well, he’s all yours.” Iris didn’t wait for her reply. She didn’t want another encounter with Kirk, and took off in the opposite direction, as Emily dug her heels into the ground and turned towards him.

  “Hello my love.” Kirk leaned towards her and Emily’s palm flattened against his chest, as she stared up at him unimpressed.

  “I want the artefacts.” Emily gave him a look akin to boredom. He reached out and twirled a strand of her black hair within his fingertips, before tucking it behind her ear, and getting great satisfaction from watching his mate shiver her desire for him.

  “I thought this was a negotiation?” He teased, knowing that he could deny her nothing, but wanting her to come to that realisation herself.

  “Fine. What do you want… and don’t say me.” Emily knew that he would have her, it was just a matter of time, and by the desire that had flared within her, when he brushed his fingertips against her ear, time was fast running out for her.

  “What could you possibly do for me?” He rolled his eyes towards the sky and made the effort to look as if he was considering it. When he heard her sigh he let his eyes rolled back to her face. The look of anxiety that sat heavy on her beautiful features made him immediately reconsider his stance.

  “Blood.” She muttered, feeling the rise of panic at the thought of his fangs anywhere near her body, swell within her.

  “I was thinking we could have dinner together, but…” He waved a dismissive hand and watched her balk.

  “Dinner?” Emily narrowed her eyes suspiciously, as he pointed over his shoulder towards the picnic tables. She shifted from one foot to the other, placed her tiny hands on her slim hips, and cocked her head to one side. “You’re telling me that if I have dinner with you, you’ll give me the artefacts?” She challenged, and he grinned down at her, his eyes bright with amusement.

  “Yes. Unless you wish to offer me something more.” He leaned down over her and brushed his lips against her ear on a whisper. “Do you wish to offer me more, Emily?” He teased, and she balked at the idea.

  “Nope. Deal struck. Dinner it is…” Then she stopped and stared at him for a long moment. “Unless I’m on the menu.” She added, and he gave her a devilish grin.

  “Not this time, but soon.” He informed her, and she felt the shiver run through her again, as she dropped her hands to her sides and strolled on past him towards the picnic tables.

  Ashley fisted the covers beneath her and pushed her head back into the mattress. Her body couldn’t take much more of the loving her mate was giving her. He’d already demanded two orgasms from her body with his talented tongue, as he’d nuzzled between her thighs, and now he was inside her body, stretching her to the limit, on a slow thrust that stroked the little bunch of nerves he’d already brought to life with his fingers, and rubbing his shaft against the sensitive nub that he had devoured not more than half an hour ago.

  His back arched, as he pulled out to the very edge of her channel, and then his hips undulated and his chest came down towards her, as he pushed deep inside her. She couldn’t take her eyes off him, or the play of his muscles, as he held himself above her. Her eyes moved down the trail of his body hair that fanned out over his chest and pointed the way to his shaft, as she watched him pull back out of her, the thick shaft glistening in the dull light of the room with her juices, before he started the slow thrust back to the hilt. So damn erotic.

  She felt the pressure within her as he started to move faster, rubbing with intensity over the sweet spot that brought her closer to the edge, and she tore her eyes away from his penis and up to his dark eyes, as he gazed down at her.

  Vaughn saw the flare of her eyes as she climbed towards another release, and growled out his desire to give it to her. Moving faster inside her, until her breath caught in her throat and her muscles clamped down around his shaft, and she cried out with the orgasm that exploded through her body. The feel of her inner walls massaging him, as he held deep within her, was pleasure of the most erotic kind, and he growled out the need to let himself go, let his hips hammer against hers until he was done.

  He was glad that she had brought him to release with her mouth before he pushed inside her. Without that relief he wasn’t sure that he could have held onto to his needs right now, as he waited for her to come back to him. Her lashes fluttered open and her lids were heavy, filled with the passion that still throbbed through her body.

  “Ready?” He growled down gently, stroking down her cheek and bringing her back to the awareness that he was still hard within her, that he still hadn’t taken his pleasure yet. It was hard for her to believe that this was her body that was responding with so much passion to a man. She’d never felt like this before, only ever dreamed that she would find this level of pleasure, so much pleasure, and all at one time.

  When he moved his hips she felt the stirring of her body to his, wanted him again with the same amount of desire that she had the first time he entered her, and she caught her lower lip with her teeth and let her eyes close, as he pulled out to her entrance and pushed back through the tight walls that had become swollen from her orgasm.

  “Deeper.” She moaned and felt him move above her. His hand caught under her leg and he hooked it over his arm, pushing her leg upwards towards her chest, and ground himself against her womb. She massaged his shaft with her inner muscles, until he growled out with the pleasure of it. His other hand caught her other leg and he practically doubled her over on herself, grinding his hips against hers, until she moaned long and hard.

  “I don’t want to hurt you, so I need you to tell me…” Vaughn warned her, but she shook her head.

  “Hard and deep. I want to feel your power inside me.”

  Vaughn could have swallowed his own tongue. His wolf howled, and his body twitched from his ears to his erection, that he was sure swelled thicker inside her. He moved then, drawing back his hips and thrusting into her, taking her as deeply as he thought she could stand, pulling back to do it again, over and over.

  Her hands went to his shoulders and her nails dug into his flesh, but he caught her wrists and pinned her arms down beside her head, mindful of his wolf’s needs within him. He couldn’t allow the beast full reign. Not yet.

  “Harder, Vaughn.” He didn’t know if it was her request, or the sound of his name on her lips, but he growled with the need to take her then, mark her and claim her as his.

  His hips thrust against her in an almost carnal need, as he felt his fangs elongate as he pounded inside her. She became like a wildcat beneath him, her head tossing on the mattress, as she climbed back towards release, and when she came again, her body tried to buck against his, but he had her pinned beneath him until she stilled. Her head lulling to one side, as her body savoured the hard throbbing bliss that rolled through it, and he growled as he placed his fangs against her salted skin, where her neck met her shoulder, and he pressed his fangs into her skin, piecing the flesh and tasting her blood upon his tongue, as he took his pleasure in his mates body.

  The power of his orgasm welled within him, and he heard his mate cry out again beneath him, as he pulled his fangs from her flesh and released his seed against her womb, grinding his hips into her, until his body naturally pulled back and he thrust deep into her again, spilling out his seed, over and over until he was sated.

  He almost collapsed on top of her, but managed to find the strength within his shaking muscles to uncurl her body beneath his, before he dropped down onto his elbows and nuzzled into her neck. His tongue tending her wounds before he truly relaxed against her.

  “Are you hurt?” He managed to growl out against her neck, below her ear, and heard her soft breathless denial, before he nuzzled into his mark and gave himself up to contentment.

  “Tell me where you live.” Kirk wanted to know everything about her so he could better understand his mate.

  “I’m not telling you that.” She shook her head on a frown, her eyes told him he must have just grown at least one more head.

  “It’s not like I can get in without an invite…” He teased, knowing that the only reason she would have to revisit her home would be to collect her things. She was his mate and she would be living with him.

  “I don’t care.” She offered in finality, and he shrugged.

  “Then tell me what you do for a living.” He tried a different route, but he must have just grown another head when she stared back at him as if he was an idiot.

  “I’m Fae. Three guesses.” She offered, unhelpfully, and he caught the laugh that rose within him.

  “Tell me your favourite flower.” Emily had had enough of this.

  “Why?” She demanded, throwing the napkin down on the table and reaching for her beer.

  “Because I want to know what petals to cover our bed with when you come home with me.” He saw the look of shock in her eyes, and was ready to make it around the table and pat her on the back, as she choked on the mouthful of beer she had just swallowed, but she recovered quickly and he allowed his muscles to unclench from their readied state of awareness.

  “Firstly. I’m not coming home with you…” He held up just one finger to silence her, a smile playing on his lips.

  “I beg to differ.” He offered and she shrugged.

  “And you’re welcome to do so. And secondly, this is supposed to be dinner, not the Spanish inquisition.” She kept her tone sweet, but her eyes firm, as she regarded him across the table.

  “Hmm. Firstly, I thank you for allowing me the sweet generosity of knowing my own mind, and secondly, its polite conversation and not the inquisition, trust me I was there…”

  “How old are you?” She balked, and he took a moment to try to remember.

  “One thousand…” He started and she shot up from the table.

  “How old?” She spat out, before turning on her heels and stomping away. He couldn’t help the grin that spread over his face as he watched her back getting further away.

  “Something I said?” He called after her, wiping his hands on the napkin, before he took a long breath and was in front of her, stopping her in her tracks, as she shrieked her surprise. “Now sweetheart…” He teased, and she scowled at him.

  “Go away. Dinner’s done. We had a deal and you will hold up your end of the bargain.” Emily ground out between clenched teeth, and he lifted his hand and brushed her hair away from her face.

  “I will. The artefacts are yours. Why does my age bother you so much?”

  “For all I know you could have eaten my great, great, great, great grandmother.” She hissed out and he took a moment to consider it.

  “Hmm. What’s her family name?” He teased, and she stomped her foot annoyance, which only brought a chuckle to his lips.

  “I don’t think I like you much.” Emily hissed at him.

  “Ouch. That’s a little harsh, Emily.” He looked a little hurt when she flicked her eyes up towards him, and she felt the guilt rise within her. The truth was she liked him just fine. Too much. He made her smile inside when she didn’t want too, and that was scary.

  “I don’t not like you.” She offered, and he narrowed his eyes and considered her words. She was as confusing as she was fascinating, and he liked that. He liked that she surprised him. He liked her lack of negotiating skills, and he liked the way her face showed everything that she was feeling. Right now it was guilt mixed with desire. And he wanted to take away her guilt.

  “Does that mean you’ll let me feed?” He teased, and watched her guilt fly out of the window to be replaced by anxiety. Not panic he noted this time, and was heartened by it.

  “Hell no!” She stomped her foot just once, before she turned away from him and stormed off, and he couldn’t help but chuckle as he followed her, aware that she had no idea of where she was going, as she blindly stalked away in rage. If she’d meant to go to her cabin that was an entirely different direction, and they had left the barbecue behind them.

  “You could have paused to think on it for a while.” He offered, riling her just enough to keep the anger bubbling with her, keep her stomping along, until he had her all too himself.

  “Aren’t you old enough to know when you’re not wanted?” She tossed over her shoulder, as she placed her palm against the tree to keep her balance, while she climbed over a fallen limb.

  “I’m old enough to remember the line, the lady doth protest too much, me thinks.” He teased back, ready to close the distance he had allowed between them now, and he shot in front of her, bringing her to an abrupt halt, and making her catch her breath.

  “Well I’m not a lady, buster, and I’m more than willing to zap your backside into the back of beyond!” She informed him, of course she lied, she wasn’t as powerful as Silver. But she placed her hands back on her hips to bluff it out, as she glared up at him.

  “You mean like this place?” He asked, motioning around him at the still and quiet woods.

  Emily flinched as she looked about, seeing her surroundings for the first time and realising that she had no idea where she was, and no idea how she managed to be so damned stupid as to end up here alone with him. Her hands dropped from her hips and she brought her eyes up to his.

  “I..." Was all she managed as she tripped over her own tongue. A worried frown creasing her brow, as she dropped her eyes to the blanket of leave’s beneath her feet.

  He closed the distance between them and placed his finger under her chin, lifting her gaze back to his.

  “Are you afraid of me now that we’re all alone?” he searched her face for the truth. He could have reached into her mind and gotten the answer for himself, but she was his mate and he wasn’t going to do that.

  Emily took a moment to consider his question. Her eyes flicked to the solitude around them and then back up to his, and she shook her head. It wasn’t that kind of fear of him that was inside her. He started to lean in towards her and she stumbled a step backwards. His arms around her to steady her in an instant, and he narrowed his gaze on hers.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “That felt like fear to me.” He offered quietly and she frowned up at him.

  “It’s not fear of you.” She denied and he kept his gaze locked with hers. “It’s fear of those.” She added brushing her fingertips over his lips and causing his body to respond to her touch, even as his brain understood her gesture.

  “If I promise they won’t come out to play, will you relax?” He asked and she shrugged her shoulders. The feel of his hands, even over the thick wool of her top, seared her skin with desire. She could have been naked and not been any more aware of him touching her.

  “That depends what else comes out to play.” She offered up at him and his soft melodic chuckle soothed her, whether he meant it to or not.

  “Not yet, little witch. I’m old enough to take my time with you.” He teased, and she felt more tension leave her body as she relaxed within his arms. “But you do know that the only way to conquer fear is to face it head on?”

  Emily felt her heart kick against her ribs, desperate to get out, probably trying to save itself from him, she thought, as she shook her head.

  “I don’t want those things in my neck.” She scowled and he gave her a gentle smile.

  He reached down and wrapped his fingers around her arm, bringing her hand up towards his mouth, he placed a gentle brush of his lips against her wrist and felt her tense and then relax against him.

  “There are other places we could try first.” He informed her and felt her tense again. Like a damn stress ball, she was clenching one moment and releasing the next, and he could feel the ebb and flow of her emotions in much the same way.

  “You promised…” She reminded him and he nodded.

  “I wouldn’t do it unless you agreed.” He brushed his lips over the soft lilac scent of her skin again, and felt his own blood on fire with the need to taste her. His age gave him all of the willpower he needed to not sink his fangs into her and let the sweet nectar of her blood roll over his tongue and down his throat. “I’m just giving you options, it seemed to be your neck you were worried about.”

  Emily opened her mouth to speak but held off. It was the thought of fangs slicing into the vein in her neck that bothered her most, that haunted her dreams since she was a child. She’d never given much thought to any other part of her body. It was the helplessness of not being able to see what he was doing in her dream, when she was so very young.

  Then as she got older there was the warm feelings that engulfed her body when the vampire fed from her that she didn’t understand, and now, it was the not knowing.

  “My neck, yes, not being able to see. Being helpless.”

  “So the sight of my fangs doesn’t bother you?”

  “That doesn’t mean I want to see them.” She put in quickly and he grinned, showing her the lack of fangs.

  “So if I were too feed from your wrist?” He left the question open, and she quickly tugged her arm out of his grip, and he couldn’t help but smile at her. There was no rush to panic within her at all now. She might have snatched her arm away, but that was just instinct, not fear and not panic.

  “Not bloody likely.” She hissed, trying to step back from him, but held by his arms. He pressed her closer, the feel of his arousal against her stomach made her want to climb up and press herself against him, and then she swallowed hard, trying to dispel that thought.

  “But now I have you all to myself what shall I do with you?” He teased and she sighed.

  “Now you’re just trying to rattle my tree to see what falls on your head.”

  “No, what I’m actually going to do is kiss you, Emily.” He announced a moment before he leaned down over her. He could hear the beat of her heart as it raced in her chest, but when she didn’t pull away or push at him to back off, he covered her lips and started a slow tease to get her to relax and open to him.

  Emily felt his lips touch hers and the need tore through her. Maybe because she had been suppressing it with loathing for what he was, or maybe because he hadn’t really physically touched her yet, it had been subdued within her. But now that she had opened herself up to allowing his touch it was a heady mixture of desire and need that rushed through her like wildfire.