Better Mate Than Never (New Adult Werewolf Romance) Page 6

  Kyle wore an expression of terror on his face as his eyes remained glued to the web of light emanating from the pentagram the witch had forced him to stand in. Only the twin glares from Adam and Caleb ensured he remained rooted to the spot… well, that, and probably the fear that Marcella would turn him into a toad if he so much as sneezed. It might have been funny, if the situation weren’t so dire. But Paige was in the enemy’s hands, so he wasn’t finding very much humor in anything right now.

  “There has to be something you can do.” Caleb scooped his hands through his hair—something he’d been doing a lot lately. He probably looked like hell, but he didn’t give a damn.

  “I may be able to alter the spell,” she said, still circling as she studied the strands of light. She plucked one experimentally, and it twanged like a bowstring. Kyle turned white as parchment. “Hmm, no, that won’t do.”

  “I’m going to die,” Kyle muttered. “You’re going to mess something up, and I’m going to die.”

  He yelped when Marcella deftly boxed one of his ears. “Hush, boy. I may look young and vivacious, but I’m no student to the craft. I’ve been doing this for a very, very long time.” Caleb arched an eyebrow as he took in the silver hairs threaded through the witch’s auburn curls and the wrinkles on her face, but said nothing. She might’ve looked like she was in her early fifties, but witches often lived for centuries, so in her mind she probably did look young and vivacious.

  She played around with the web of light, muttering curses under breath, and Caleb struggled not to fidget. How long would this take? He knew it was important, but dammit, Paige’s life was hanging in the balance. Finally she grasped several strings of light that seemed to be woven together, fiddled with them a minute, and let out an ‘A-ha!’ as they sprang apart.

  “What? What?” Kyle’s face was torn between excitement and apprehension. “Have you freed me? Am I no longer a slave?”

  “No, child.” Marcella laid a thin hand on his shoulder in a rare gesture of sympathy. “That is not what I am being asked to do. But I did remove the block he placed on you that prevents you from speaking of his secrets.” She snapped her fingers and the web of light disappeared. “He is all yours, boys. “

  Kyle stepped back, holding his hands up as Caleb and Adam approached. “No, no, no. You don’t understand. I can’t do this if my Master still has a hold on me. If he finds out, all he needs to do is snap his fingers and I’ll be dead.”

  “Yes, and if you don’t tell me where to find Paige, I’ll kill you myself.” Caleb cracked his knuckles.

  Kyle’s lips whitened as he pressed them together, eyeing Caleb nervously. “He’ll kill my brother, too,” he finally said with a shake of his head. “At least if you kill me, he’ll know I didn’t betray him, and Randy will stay safe.”

  Caleb sighed. He really couldn’t fault such family loyalty, even if it was incredibly inconvenient. “Marcella, how much would it cost to free these two wolves from their slave bond to this Warlock?”

  She named an outrageous sum, and he sputtered but she wasn’t budging on cost.

  “Fine. Do it.”

  “Wait.” Kyle held up a hand. “Are you… are you saying you’ll free me and my brother if I lead you to where my Master is?”

  “You’ll have to join my pack, and work off a large debt to Caleb in exchange,” Adam warned.

  “I don’t care.” Kyle’s eyes lit with feverish excitement. “I’ll do whatever I have to.” He paled, clapping his hands over his mouth, but when nothing happened he lowered them again.

  “I’ll help you find him.”

  *

  Paige was awoken by the urgent sound of jangling keys. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up from the pallet to see Randy opening her cell door. Apprehension filled her as she got to her feet—what did he want?

  “Quiet,” he hissed before she could ask him. “I’m getting you out of here.”

  “You’re—what?” she was careful to keep her voice down. “You’re helping me escape?”

  He took her by the hand and dragged her from the cell. “Only because I know it’s the best chance of survival for my brother. Master has gone out, but he won’t be away for long, so this is the only chance we have. Now, hurry!”

  They raced quietly up the stairs and through the house, which took longer than she thought it would. Every time a servant or a slave passed, Randy shoved her into a corridor or behind a door and waited until the coast was clear before moving again. Making it across the front lawn to the SUV was a nightmare… but they finally did it. They buckled in, and Randy set off down the driveway.

  “I cannot leave the property without my Master’s permission,” he said, keeping his eyes on the road. His knuckles were white as they gripped the steering wheel, and the veins in his neck stood out prominently even though it was dark. “So I can only take you to the end of the road. Afterward, you’re on your own.”

  “You… you’re not going to come with me?” Paige’s eyes widened. “But… when Garth comes back and finds me gone, he’ll…” Oh God.

  Randy smiled tightly. “I’ll fight him with every breath I have. As long as my brother stays safe, it doesn’t matter if I die.”

  Paige was surprised when her eyes filled with tears. This man had put her through some serious hardship, but she didn’t want to leave him to die. “There has to be another way. It doesn’t seem fair.”

  “There isn’t.” He spoke tersely now. “Just make sure my brother stays safe. I don’t want to die in vain.”

  “I promise.” And she was going to make sure she kept that promise.

  Just as they were reaching the end of the road, they slammed into a force field… or at least that’s what she thought it was. The air in front of them flared red, and the airbags exploded as the car rammed into what felt like a solid wall, though nothing was there. Gasping, she opened the passenger’s side door and tumbled onto the ground, her ribs burning from the impact. What the hell had happened?

  Struggling to her feet, her eyes focused on a Cadillac parked on the side of the road. Garth stepped out, and began walking toward them as if he had all the time in the world. Paige tried to run, but her feet felt as though they’d been glued to the ground. Oh God. She’d been so close. What would happen to her now? Would he just kill them both? Had this all been for nothing?

  “Very resourceful,” Garth complimented her, stopping less than a foot away. He chucked an icy hand beneath her chin. “I never expected you would be able to charm one of my slaves into doing your bidding. It’s a shame I’m going to have to kill you; I could have used a silver tongue in my menagerie.”

  “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” Paige snapped, fire in her voice though she was trembling from head to toe.

  “Of course you don’t.” He patted her head patronizingly. “Unfortunately, I have to wait until your lover gets here to kill you… but that doesn’t mean I can’t kill him.”

  “No!” Paige shrieked as Garth snapped his fingers. Instantly, Randy began to thrash wildly on the ground, screaming as he convulsed in agony. Paige couldn’t imagine what kind of pain could make a hardened guy like him scream like that, but the sound of his desperate groans filled her with unbelievable fear. “Please, stop!”

  Cocking his head to the side, Garth snapped his fingers again. Randy went limp, gasping for air. “You actually care about this pathetic excuse for a wolf-shifter?”

  “Please…let him live,” Paige protested. “I will do whatever you want, Garth, but please, just leave him be.”

  “Whatever I want, eh?” Garth hummed, running a finger down her cheek. “You don’t know what you’ve just agreed to, pretty one.”

  “Remove your hand from her face, warlock, or I will rip the skin off yours.”

  *

  “Caleb!” Paige cried, and Caleb’s knees nearly went weak with relief to see that she was okay. Kyle let out a cry of his own when he saw his brother on the ground, but before he could take two steps he crumpled.r />
  “I still control you,” Garth snapped, his pale eyes livid. “How dare you bring the enemy to my doorstep?”

  “But I thought you wanted me to come,” Caleb replied, his eyes swirling in golden fury. “Isn’t that what you wanted, Garth? To have me…here? To kill me?”

  “Yes,” Garth hissed. “There’s no doubt that you will die. But as punishment, you’ll get to watch your woman die first.”

  He reached for Paige, but before he could touch her skin his hand burst into flame. Screaming, he tried to put it out with a spell, but the flame continued to scorch his hand, melting it down to the bone, his flesh falling away in blackened embers.

  Marcella stepped forward, her face grim. “Garth, Apprentice of Darin, your days of enslaving are at an end. For your crimes, we will take you back to the Coven to be tried.” Two other witches flanked her, and the three of them converged on the warlock, binding him up in magical chains even as he bellowed and protested. Caleb wasn’t comfortable around magic, but he’d never been so glad to see it in action before.

  Once it was done and they had carted him off, Paige ran to Caleb, collapsing in his tight embrace. Sobbing, she let him cradle her; his fingers weaved through her hair, holding the back of her neck, nuzzling her against him. “I was so frightened,” she whimpered, burrowing her face into his chest.”

  Rubbing a hand up and down her back, he made a silent promise that no matter what happened, he would never let her go. Even if he had to leave his clan. He looked up over the top of Paige’s head, meeting Adam’s eyes, who watched them closely, as if to analyze their interaction, to make sure it was all that it was meant to be. After a long moment, his clan leader nodded.

  “Caleb… You have my consent.”

  Paige raised her tear-stained face to frown at him, confused. “Consent for what?”

  “To with you, and to take you as his mate if he wishes. Which,” Adam added with a smile, “is clearly what he wants to do.” He stared pointedly at the hand Caleb had placed possessively around Paige’s waist.

  Cheeks coloring, Paige smiled up at Caleb as he swept her back into his arms and kissed the breath out of her. It was even sweeter than the first time he had ever kissed her, now that he realized how close he’d come to losing her. Her scent and taste engulfed him, and they stood there for a long time, soaking each other in, until Adam cleared his throat impatiently.

  “Ready to go home?” Caleb asked, pulling back to look into her sparkling green eyes.

  “Yes,” she nodded, smiling. “I’ll go anywhere you wish, as long as it’s with you.”

  *

  Caleb groaned as Paige gently suckled his tongue. The need to rip her clothes off and bury his cock deep inside of her was almost more than he could handle—he’d never felt as turned on as he was when he was with her. But he refused to give into his own selfish desires. Much as the wolf inside him wanted to just claim her roughly, passionately, he had no intention of taking her hard and quick like the animal he was. This was their first time together as true mates, and he wanted to savor every minute of it and make it a night she would always remember.

  He had told her honestly that he hadn’t expected her to agree to be his lifelong mate, or that she would be willing to leave everything behind in order to share a life with him and his clan. He had carefully and truthfully explained to her all that his life entailed, the way that Lycan’s had to move every few years in order to protect their clan from being discovered and how they could never set down roots anywhere…destined for a life of endless journey.

  She hadn’t hesitated to tell him that she didn’t care about all of that…it didn’t matter, he couldn’t change her mind, and that she would do anything just to be with him. The words of love tumbled easily from her lips, the genuine look of sheer devotion that swirled in her beautiful, green eyes reassuring him that it really was what she wanted.

  They’d talked a long time, their sentences and words finally trailing away, replaced by tender kisses and gentle touches, hands slowly exploring one another, methodically and softly taking each other once more into that place they shared where nothing else mattered.

  He kissed her, the electric heat of his body transferring onto her curvy frame, his lips mashed against hers, kissing her with more urgency, until they were both out of breath and panting with desperate need. He felt satisfied as he looked down at her flushed cheeks, swollen lips, and into those familiar green eyes glazed with desire. Wanting to feel her naked body against his, he reached down to her skirt and squatted so he could remove her heels and slide the material down her legs, trailing open-mouthed kisses down a thigh as he moved slowly, carefully, relishing in the sweet taste of her flesh and in the way she trembled with his gentle touch. He smiled as he heard her shallow breathing and felt her body tremble beneath his touch.

  “Please, Caleb,” she breathed.

  “Soon, sweetheart,” he soothed. But first he was going to make her say his name a few more times. He loved the sound of it on her tongue. Straightening, he began to slowly unbutton her white poet blouse until she was left with nothing but her bra and panties. His eyes flickering with the incredible desire he felt for her, he unclipped her bra, letting it fall to the floor, baring puckered, pink nipples that begged for attention. With a smile, he lowered his head to catch one between his teeth, biting down gently.

  “Oh!” Paige gasped, and Caleb reached up to roll the other nipple between his thumb and forefinger. He swirled his tongue around the peak and then sucked hard, eliciting a long, low cry from her. He pinched the other nipple before switching his mouth to it and giving it the same treatment.

  “Look at me,” he commanded lovingly, tearing his mouth roughly away from her.

  She obeyed, shyly looking up to him, meeting his gaze, and he gripped her hips, lifting and positioning her on the bed. He spread her thighs apart, and drew in a ragged breath at the sight of her glistening pussy bared before his hungry gaze.

  “Do you know how much I love you…all of you?”

  A shiver rolled down Paige’s spine at his tone—dark, dangerous, and possessive.

  “Yes…” she whispered.

  With a wicked smile, he crouched between her legs, spreading them wide, and heat lanced through her as he gazed at the most private part of her body. He trailed his fingers gently through the thatch of curls, and then over the slit of her pussy. A trembling whimper escaped her lips when he slid a finger inside her, and he met her eyes boldly as he added another, and then a third.

  “Does that feel good?” he asked huskily.

  “I… ohhh…” she moaned when he leaned in and flicked his hot, wet tongue over her.

  “Yes.” Her hips moved unconsciously as she pushed herself against his mouth and fingers, urging her forward. He found her clit with his tongue and sucked hard, and she shattered with a scream, her body quivering as she was inundated with wave after wave of pleasure.

  “You taste so good…so sweet,” he growled, crawling up and over her body. At some point or another he’d kicked off his jeans, and was completely naked. Still shaken from the intensity of her orgasm, she barely had time to process anything before he hooked her legs around his waist and drove his cock into her. A helpless moan escaped her lips as he filled her to the brim—he felt hard and thick and wonderful inside her. Clutching him against her, she drove him on, matching him thrust for thrust as the bed shook with the force of their lovemaking.

  She cried out his name as another orgasm crested over her, and a shiver racked her entire body as he howled—a sound that was both triumphant and inhuman. He pushed into her one last time before leaning over and sinking his teeth into her shoulder, completing the mating process. She screamed again as that bite catapulted her into the most intense orgasm she’d ever had, blinding her to everything but the burning, magnetic heat that lay between them, connecting them forever.

  Wave after wave of pleasure buffeted her until her mind couldn’t take it anymore, and she mentally shattered. The last t
hing she was aware of was Caleb roaring as he spilled himself deep inside of her before she blissfully blacked out, tumbling into an utterly dreamless sleep.

  She knew that when she awoke, life as she knew it would never be the same again. She was now Caleb’s chosen mate and come morning her new life would begin. She could hardly wait.

  About The Author

  Adriana Hunter writes erotic romance with many of them featuring plus size, curvy, full-figured heroines (with sass!) and powerful, dominant alpha males. Her stories run the gamut from paranormal romance, new adult romance to historical fiction.

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