Unconditional

  They’d talk about it when she got back to Portland.

  She peeked into her fridge and pulled out a yogurt and then heard the knock on her door. With a sigh, she headed over. She’d slept in her sweats and a T-shirt so she was relatively decent.

  One look through the peephole had her turning off the alarm and yanking the door open to find Josh on her doorstep. Joy filled her at the sight of him.

  She smiled but then noted his eyes. Holy shit, his wolf was right there at the surface. She’d seen him change, knew that look.

  “I need you,” he said in a low growl.

  She knew without a doubt that if she let him in he’d claim her right then and there. There was no turning back from this moment. If she said no, he’d go and eventually find someone else.

  But she didn’t want that. She wanted to be his all the way. Damn everything else. This was a gift and she had no intention of letting that go.

  She stepped aside, and he came in, kicking the door closed, locking it and pulling the security chain. She set the alarm again, her gaze not leaving him as he circled her like prey.

  “I’d ask if you were okay but I know you’re not. And I’m sorry. Sorry for all you’ve lost.”

  “You came to me.”

  He stepped close and pulled her to him, his arms sliding around her and making her feel as if she’d truly come home. Her body to his, his scent in her nose, his heartbeat against her cheek.

  “I will always come to you. Always. Do you accept that? Accept me and what I am? What we are? I know I said I’d wait as long as you needed, but holy shit I need you so much right now it’s sort of scary. My wolf is out of patience.”

  She smiled and pulled back, taking his hand and leading him to her bedroom, turning off the coffeemaker as she passed.

  He paused and took a deep breath once he’d entered the room. “Smells like you in here.”

  She smiled. “I should hope so. Now it’ll smell like you too.”

  He held out a hand and she took it. “Come here. You’re all sleep warm. Sad though. I’m sorry.” He brushed the hair away from her face.

  She shrugged. “You’re here. So I’m a little bit less sad.”

  He pulled her shirt up over her head and hummed, running his hands all over her skin, bending his head to take her mouth. She opened to him immediately, sucking his tongue, delighting in the way he pulled her to him tighter. He kissed down her neck, over her shoulder and then shoved her sweats down so she could step out of them.

  When she opened her eyes, he was already on his way to naked, and she frowned a moment before deciding it was okay that she hadn’t seen him start to get undressed because that’s how she wanted him anyway.

  She kissed across his chest, licking over his skin as she got his jeans undone and halfway down his thighs. “Off.”

  “Impatient.”

  But she heard his wolf in his voice, and she knew she wasn’t the only one impatient.

  “In me,” she spoke against his mouth as he moved in for another kiss.

  “First things first. I’m going to lick your pussy until you come. Get you nice and wet. Relax you a little and then I’m going to fuck you.”

  She swallowed hard and fisted him, pumping up and down, smearing her thumb through the bead of precome at the slit. She licked it, and he growled, pushing her to her back on the bed, and settled in between her thighs. “Wait on that. I don’t want to be right on the edge before I even get inside you naked the first time.”

  He went straight for her pussy, and she had no complaints, though she didn’t have his cock in her hand any longer. She arched, rolling her hips as he slid his tongue up and into her over and over before surging to her clit, moving his tongue and lips back and forth across it, sending her to the edge immediately.

  So good. Damn he was so good at this. Fast or slow, he knew her body and did all the things she liked. Did them hard and soft, gently and not so gently, until her climax began to settle in. She dug her heels into the bed, her hips churning against his mouth as she tugged his hair, hard, to keep him exactly there. He hummed, and that vibration was the last little bit she needed before she fell over and orgasm consumed her as he kept devastating her with that mouth of his.

  A smaller aftershock orgasm stole through her, leaving her boneless, and then he moved, looming over her, his mouth on hers, her taste on his lips, and it stole her breath.

  He brushed the head of his cock against her, through the heated slick of her cunt, and snarled. So. Good. With a condom it had been good, but this? This was exquisite sensation. Inferno hot and so wet he slid in, easy at first but then she gripped him tight.

  He paused as his heart beat in his cock for long moments. Throb-throb-throb. She tightened around him and he shook his head. “Careful there, beautiful. I’m so very close, and I want your cunt around me for a while before I blow.”

  He thrust all the way in and sloooowly retreated. Over and over as it became nearly hypnotic, that slow and deep fucking. She drew her knees up to his sides, getting him even deeper. He dropped down to lick over her nipples, taking in her taste.

  His woman.

  His mate.

  His.

  Her hands roamed over his shoulders, nails digging in, urging him on. The prick of pain shot through him as it did when she lost the veneer on her control and her claws came out.

  “I want you to mark me again,” she whispered, and he groaned as he skittered even closer to climax at the sound of those words.

  He bent his head and licked over the side of her breast. “Here?” He tested his teeth against the firm mound of flesh, and she shivered.

  “Yes.”

  He sucked. Hard enough he knew he’d leave a love bite. And then he bit and she came around his cock so hard he almost lost his mind.

  “Someone likes it rough.”

  “Yeah? Me too.” She smiled and arched up, biting his pec, and he growled as sensation surged, speeding his pace as the sharp pain of her teeth tingled into a pleasure so intense he had to get deep, had to come inside her and make her his in every way.

  Their sexual interludes had been hot each and every time. But this was more raw than before. His emotion was so close to the skin, as hers was. She wanted it, wanted him, wanted to belong to him in a way she’d never felt before.

  He began to fuck into her so hard she bounced a little each time he got in all the way. Her tits swayed and the grin he gave her as he watched was rakish.

  She arched, dragging her nails up his sides, delighting in his growl.

  “Now, beautiful.” And he came so hard she felt it.

  And then it was…it filled her. Up and up and up. She felt so much she wasn’t sure she could take any more. She would have panicked if he hadn’t been there, pulling her into his arms as he rained kisses over her face. Murmuring endearments and soft words as her world was rocked. Literally.

  She had to close her eyes against the tilt in her equilibrium as it sucked her under. Emotion rushed through her as she drowned in the way she felt and then the way he did. Sounds, scents, everything all around her amped up. Even the bedding beneath her demanded her attention with the cool caress of cotton. It was so much.

  Was it supposed to be like this? It was too late to back out, and he didn’t seem alarmed so she hoped that meant it was okay. She let it take her, all that sensation, all those demands for sensory attention, and she trusted he’d make sure she’d get through.

  She lost herself for a little while, and when she opened her eyes, she had to drag in a breath at the intensity of the connection she had with him.

  He pressed a cool cloth against her face and neck. “Are you all right?” She didn’t even remember him getting out of bed.

  “How long was I…um…whatever that was?”

  “A few minutes. You’re fine now. I’ve been told the change, the binding, is a little harder on a non-wolf. You’re so beautiful.” He kissed her softly.

  She swallowed hard and tried to sit up as the worl
d shifted enough that she remained on her back. “This is…are you all right?”

  He smiled down at her, and the way he felt wasn’t just clear in his features, it was like she felt it too. A burst of love. Of adoration. Of the need to protect. Even of the loam and forest of his wolf. All he was when it came to his feelings about her was there and she knew it.

  “I’m fucking perfect.” He took her hand and put it over his heart. “You’re here now. I can feel you, Michelle. You’re amazing.”

  So much emotion. It was perfect and wonderful and beyond anything she’d ever felt, and it was totally and completely okay. She belonged to something bigger and more important than she’d dreamed of. “Incredible. This is…thank you. This is the best thing I’ve ever felt. And it’s all because of you. Wow, this is better than the first spell I ever learned. Better than anything. I love you, Josh. I don’t know that I ever stopped, but teenage-girl love has nothing on this. I’ve decided I’m going with it. Magick, whatever it is. I’m in.”

  He kissed her again, long and slow. “I love you too.” He nipped her bottom lip and she snuggled closer. “Mate.”

  “I like that. Mate.”

  “Me too.”

  When she got out of the shower, he’d made her some breakfast, and coffee waited on the table.

  “Wow, you’re handy in all sorts of ways.”

  “I figured you’d need the sustenance. Pam called.”

  She took the coffee and sat, putting eggs on her plate. She realized his emotions were like a radio station. She could choose to tune in and listen or turn the sound down. He was worried, upset. “Tell me.”

  “They’re not going to release the body for at least a week. There’s not a whole lot of it left, and she thinks you should have a talk with Kathy about having the body cremated in Portland and then sent down here. Save her any trauma of seeing Allie in that condition.”

  She’d had a feeling it would be like that.

  “I went over it with her last night. I didn’t want to alarm her or give her more detail than she needs. She doesn’t need to know all of it. Hell, I wish I didn’t know it all. But I did say there was no chance of an open casket for a viewing and I did push for a cremation. She’s not going to be pleased about the delay in releasing the body but I get it. They want to see what the hell is going on. That scene, it was like out of a movie. The authorities are going to start talking occult or something like that soon. I called Owen about it. They’re dealing with a bunch of stuff right now as well. More disappearances all over the country.”

  He ate quietly, watching her.

  “What?”

  “Will you come back with me? To Portland?”

  She sucked in a breath. “Yes. I mean, I do need to be around to help Kathy when she needs it. But right now her family is there. I can’t go back to work. Dexter said, when I told him, see what comes of mixing with them, and I knew right then I had to quit. I’ll give my notice but time it so I don’t have to go back at all. Save them the trouble of disciplining me, I guess. It’ll look better on a job application elsewhere if I didn’t get fired.”

  She felt the hot rush of his anger at that. “Gonna take some getting used to. This connection thing.”

  “Strong emotions are easiest to feel through the bond. I can’t believe he’d be so heartless. It makes me want to punch him in the face.”

  “Get in line. I don’t get it, but I can’t waste any more time on trying to get him to see the error of his ways. I know there are some pretty good guys left. I’ll speak to them to be sure they keep an eye on Kathy.”

  “Good idea. Do you think she’d go away for a while? For safety’s sake?”

  She shook her head. “No way. She has a life here. She won’t go. But her sister will stay on a month or two so that will help.” She sighed. “I just can’t be here right now. She’s everywhere and I can’t. There’s like part of me missing. I keep reaching for it to use it, to pick up the phone and call her to tell her about you, about this, and I can’t because she’s gone.”

  He got up and moved to her, pulling her into a hug. Her upset smoothed a little.

  “You’re like Prozac.”

  He chuckled. “The bond has a lot of plusses. You have that effect on me too. Still, I wish I could make this better. I wish it ended differently for her. You did all you could. I wish you could see that.”

  “I wish I could too. Maybe after some time goes by.” She suspected she’d feel like a failure over this for the rest of her days. “She’s gone and I’m not. If I saw something earlier. If I had tried this or that. I don’t know. But she died alone and terrified, and I wasn’t there to save her.”

  His arms tightened around her. “I know. And it kills me for both of your sakes. I believe you did all you could and more. But I know you and understand you’re going to run it over and over and over until you’re convinced you did all you could and maybe that’ll never happen for you. I want to shoulder all your burdens but I get that I can’t in every case. Now that we’re bound, it’s like that imperative is turned up to twelve on the dial. I want to sling you over my shoulder and run away with you. Take you somewhere no one can find us. But I also realize that’s not going to happen. So we’ll have to work it through. Together though. Because that’s what has to happen. You need to let me help.”

  “I know. I’m trying. I guess the anchor thing needs to happen now. Or soon.”

  He sucked in a breath. “Yes. It should be in the next day or two. There are some wolves coming in from Boston. Late this afternoon, actually. That’s why I was asking if you were coming back home with me. Well aside from me wanting you with me in our place. I want to handle the security myself from the airport. Jack Meyers, he’s the National Enforcer. He’s coming to Portland to meet with Tracy, Nick and Gabe before he heads up to Seattle for a meeting of the packs to talk about this whole mage thing. There’ll be a lot of higher-ranked wolves around. Not Jack, he’s mated, has a version of a tri-bond actually. But there will be others, unmated wolves.”

  “Like an assortment of chocolates. Or a buffet. So what if, you know, we end up a threesome? I’m not sure I can handle two alpha males. One is exhausting enough.”

  He snorted. “It’s going to be all right. Like I said, the whole threesome thing is totally rare. Jack is mated with a witch and a jaguar shifter. The witch and the jaguar were together first. They’d imprinted, which is sort of the jaguar version of mating. And then Jack met her and she was his mate. They’re all three together and mated. It’s intense, but it totally works for them.”

  “I’m a witch. What if it’s some kooky witch thing?”

  “We won’t get you anywhere near a jaguar.” He held back a grin but she felt his amusement anyway.

  “Har.”

  “It’s new to you. I know. I’m just teasing. It’s going to be fine. Gina is a witch and she’s mated to Damon. No threesome, just the two of them.”

  “Are you anyone’s anchor? Gah! Maybe I don’t want to know. I guess I have to know because this is like part of your wolf thing. But I have to be friends with some chick you had sex with and you’re sort of mated to?” She realized, slightly panicked, that she was going to have to sex up a near stranger she’d be bonded to on some level. Did she shave her legs that day?

  He kissed her nose. “I’m not, no. And now that I’m mated, it’s not ever going to happen, so that’s that. As for the tri-bond? I think you should look at this as a hot thing.” He slid his thumb over her bottom lip. “Hot sex with someone, sanctioned by your mate.”

  “Are you going to be there? In the room, I mean?”

  “I think yes. I’d go crazy if I wasn’t. Is that all right?”

  “This is all so weird.”

  He grinned. “Sit and finish your breakfast. I brought boxes so you can pack up your car and mine, and we can go home. My place is our place now.”

  “Avoiding the subject?”

  “No. But I think you need some time to digest all this, and then when we ge
t to Portland, you can meet more wolves and we can work it out and it won’t be as weird. Hopefully. I’m sorry you’re uncomfortable. Well, part of me is happy because it means you’re not jumping all over having sex with someone else. But I don’t want you to be unhappy.”

  “I’m rolling with it the best I can.”

  “I know.”

  Chapter Eleven

  He met Jack and the rest of his wolves at the airport. Michelle was heading to his apartment once she got back to town to unpack her things. She’d stopped by Allie’s mom’s place on her way out of town so he knew she’d need some time on her own to process.

  He smiled. Her things in his place. Their place now. He’d pick her up when they’d gotten everyone settled in, and they’d go to a pack dinner where she’d be introduced as his mate.

  “Congratulations are in order, I hear.” Jack grinned his way.

  “Thank you. It’s a good day to be me. This being-mated thing is pretty sweet. No wonder all you guys walk around smiling all the time.”

  “It is indeed a good thing. Tell me about her.”

  “Of all things, she’s my high school sweetheart. My first love. I left Roseburg and everyone in it behind when I was bitten. Anyway, she showed up at the offices downtown needing our help, and it turns out she’s my mate. And a witch, which I never knew. She’s a cop. Beautiful. Brilliant. A badass with some mad skills with a handgun. She’s perfect.”

  “Oh the goofy smile and glazed eyes of the newly mated.” Jack laughed. “It’s a great story though. One your kids are going to love. Also being a cop means she’ll understand your job, which is good.”

  “And she can defend herself in the face of all this crazy stuff with the mages.” Akio Minami, Jack’s right hand in his Enforcer crew, spoke from the back seat.