The fire coming from the fireplace across the room gave off a romantic atmosphere. Angel finished her last piece of elk. Creed had brought in more pillows from the spare bedroom and both of them sat up in bed, cushioned from the headboard.
“Thank you. I didn’t even know you could cook.” She flashed him a smile. “It was really good.”
“I’ve lived alone since I was a small youngling. I don’t like to eat it fresh from the bone. The scouts taught me how to cook.”
“You didn’t get the craving for raw meat from your mother?”
“No. I enjoy my meals cooked.”
“Me too. I always had to glance away when someone from the pack captured and immediately ate a rabbit or something. Raw meat is gross.” She moved her legs, untangling them from his bedding. “Thank you. It was so thoughtful of you to start a fire and then fix me dinner.”
“You’re my mate.” He used a napkin to dab at her chin.
“You’re spoiling me.”
“You deserve that and so much more.”
She studied his eyes. “How are you doing?”
“Why do you ask?”
“We just spent two hours messing up your bed and this is our first night as mates. I know how I feel, but I’m wondering about you.”
“I like this.”
“Good.”
He took her plate and twisted away, placing it on a table he’d carried in. He faced her again. “I would like to discuss something with you.”
“Okay. Hit me.”
He scowled. “Never.”
“It’s a saying.”
“I don’t like that one.”
She grinned. “What do you want to talk about?”
“There’re two subjects we need to cover as new mates.”
She was curious. “What are they?”
“I just thought of another. Three subjects.”
“Okay.”
He pulled away from the pillows to get a better look at her face. “Will you take my blood? It will strengthen the bond.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t have fangs. I’ll have to bleed for you.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry about that. I’m familiar with it since my parents told me what mates do. You’ll need to cut yourself so I can get the blood.”
“Never apologize. It’s a custom of ours to share blood that way. We don’t bite into someone unless it’s to take their blood to trigger the mating process. I bit you tonight because we’re still bonding. Once it’s complete, I won’t have that urge anymore.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“I’d like for you to sleep in my bed with me.”
That surprised her. “Was there ever a doubt?”
“We keep our own bedchambers. That’s our custom.”
“That one sucks, so no, I’m not sleeping apart from you. I’d have fought with you’d tried to put me in another room. I’d have just climbed into bed with you after you had fallen asleep. Try to keep me away from you.”
He smiled. “Good. I like having you close, and I’d worry about you being cold or frightened in another room.”
“That has nothing to do with my reasons. I just want to hold you.”
His expression softened. “I want that as well.”
“You said three. What’s the third?”
He reached out and placed his hand on her stomach. “Children. We need to decide if you should eat the root or not.”
“The what?”
“It’s our form of birth control for humans. I asked a scout I trust about how to avoid pregnancy happening while I went to get food. He said he could get it for me if I wanted. You need to start eating it, since I’ve mated you. You need to take a bite of the root every day. Our sperm is very strong when we go into the ravage or when we first take a mate. You’re putting off the calling scent and my body responds to that by trying very hard to impregnate you.”
“So you’re saying you have super-sperm right now?”
He nodded.
“This root works as a contraceptive?”
“Yes.”
Angel placed her hand on her stomach, imagining what it would be like to have Creed’s baby. The thought wasn’t a bad one. She liked the idea. “Do you want kids?”
His eyes were blue at that moment but they sparked with silver, as if lightening were striking inside the irises. “I would be honored if you did. You’re human, so there’s a higher chance you can get pregnant since you can’t control your ovulation cycles.”
“I don’t think so. I’m on the shot. It’s a human form of birth control. I haven’t taken your blood yet except for when I bit you. I don’t think that was enough though. Once I do, it can mess with it. Otherwise, in a month it won’t be good anymore. That’s when I’m due to have another shot.”
His lips compressed into a tight line.
“What?”
“Why were you on it? No—don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.” He looked away.
“I have the worst periods ever,” she admitted. “Cramps. I get PMS. It’s bad. I’ll cry, then burst into a bitch fit of major proportions over stupid shit. It’s not pretty. That’s why I started taking the shot and stay on it. It prevents me from having periods.”
He held her gaze. “It wasn’t because you had a lover before you came home to the pack? Is he waiting for you to return?”
“No.”
He rubbed her stomach. “I would like to leave it to nature.”
She understood his meaning. “That’s fine with me.”
“You wouldn’t feel ill at ease if you got pregnant?”
She didn’t laugh at the way he put it. She translated it into freaking out. “To have a little version of you? No.” She clasped his hand over her belly. “Never. As you said, it would be an honor.”
“It’s a new concept to me, contemplating having a youngling. I believed I wouldn’t have to consider it until after my hundredth birthday.”
“You’ll make a wonderful father.”
He looked away. “I have my doubts.”
“Hey?” She reached up and grabbed his jaw, turning his face back. She held his gaze. “You will make an amazing father. Trust me on that.”
“I never wish to be like my own.”
“You won’t be.”
He grew silent.
“I’m going to tell you what my mother said to me. I had this freak-out moment once about what kind of mother I’d be one day if I ever had kids. My biological one took off, remember? She abandoned me to that place where you found me. Just left me to that hell. I was worried I might have inherited bad traits. See where I’m going with this? Do you want to know the advice my mother shared?”
He leaned into her hand, watching her. “Yes.”
“Life is what you make it. You take the bad you’ve experienced or seen and learn what not to do later in life. Who you become is up to you. The past is just that. You let it go and move forward. You are going to be a fantastic father.”
“I lack in the ability to show emotion.”
“That’s why you have me. We’ll have time to work on it, Creed.” She smiled. “You’ve come a long way. Could you imagine us in bed together like this a month ago, doing the things we just did?”
He smiled back. “No.”
“See? And this is our second night together. You build walls and I’ll break them down. I won’t let you close yourself off ever again.”
“You will tell me if I’m too cold? I worry I might not meet your needs.”
She leaned in closer. “You meet and exceed them.” She brushed her lips over his. “Trust me.”
He stroked her cheek. “You are everything to me.”
“I love you too.”
She closed her eyes, deepening the kiss. He kissed her back. He was a fast learner in this regard, as well. He pulled her closer, his big hands roaming her body. He used his elbow to shove the pillows out of the way, dragging her down with him to lie flat. She pushed the sheets away to reach more of his skin, doing some touching of her own.
Creed broke the kiss. “Blood.”
It took her a second to cool her desire enough to let what he’d said sink in and make sense. “Now? Later.”
“Now.”
“You have the worst timing.” She slapped his chest. “I wanted to ride you.”
“I didn’t say you couldn’t.” Amusement sparked in his eyes. “I want to feed you first.”
“You already did. You fed me elk steak and whatever that white stuff was. I couldn’t decide if it was mashed rice or potato. It was good though. The green stuff in it kind of confused my taste buds.”
He rolled, pinning her under him. “You need to take my blood on a full stomach. Otherwise your digestive system won’t accept it as easily. This is the time.”
She stuck out her lower lip and pouted. “You’re so mean. All I want to do is ride you like a pony.”
He smiled. “I’m a stallion, baby.” He lifted off her, getting off the bed.
Angel laughed. Her normally stony GarLycan was playing with her. “Come back to bed. I can drink it later.”
He crossed the room and left the bedroom. She sat up after he was gone, liking it when he walked away from her. He did have the nicest ass.
He was determined to strengthen their bond. His timing did suck but he was the sensible one. Her digestive system would reject blood on an empty stomach. She’d throw it back up.
He returned with a tray. Angel frowned.
He sat on the edge of the bed and set it down. There was a silver, thin, fluted champagne glass and a dagger. Her eyebrows arched. “What’s this?”
He picked up the dagger. “I cut and bleed into the goblet. You drink from it.”
She grabbed his wrist, halting the sharp weapon. “Are you serious?”
“It’s customary.”
“Your people are so formal.”
He just stared at her.
“Give me the dagger.” She held out her other hand. “Let’s do this in a more fun way.”
“I’m worried to see what that is.”
“You heal fast and you know I’d never hurt you. Trust me.”
He hesitated, and then handed over the dagger to her handle first. “I do.”
“Get rid of the glass and tray.”
He stood, taking them around the bed to the table. She pointed at the bed and he climbed on. She was careful with the sharp-tipped dagger as she crawled closer to him.
“Flat on your back.”
He did it but frowned. “What is your plan?”
She set the dagger down and bent over him, brushing kisses on his stomach. He hissed out when she trailed them lower, going toward his groin.
“Don’t slice me there.”
She laughed. “No. Never, ever there. Only my mouth is going to touch the good parts.”
He reached up, caressing her breast. “I appreciate that.”
She licked the hollow of his hip, staring at his cock. He was getting hard. She moved closer and nibbled on his lower stomach. “It’s about to get a lot better.”
She lifted her leg, throwing it over one of his. He spread his thighs to give her more room. She gripped the shaft of his cock and opened her mouth, flicking her tongue over the tip. She looked up at him, meeting his gaze. His eyes were swirling silver but some blue still showed. It was almost neon. He had the sexiest eyes and responses to oral sex. He pinched her nipple and it caused her to jerk. It didn’t hurt, but she knew he’d done it to get her attention. She liked it.
She took him inside her mouth, sucking lightly. His fangs extended and she hoped he didn’t sprout wings flat on his back. She wasn’t even sure if he could or if it would hurt. She took him deeper, watching his eyes narrow. Soft noises came from the back of his throat. His chest rumbled. She slowly released him and lifted her chest, climbing up his body. She positioned his shaft at the angle she wanted when she straddled his hips and sat, taking him deep inside her pussy. He grabbed her hips.
“Angel,” he moaned.
“Definitely not a pony.” She rose up a little, slamming back down.
He tightened his hold, pleasure showing on his features. “Blood later.”
She leaned over, grabbing the dagger. “No. Now. Give me your hand.”
He shook off some of the lust and sat up a little. He only hesitated for a second before giving her his hand. She gripped it.
“Remember what I was just doing to you with my mouth?”
“Yes.”
“Close your eyes and just feel. Think about my mouth on you.”
She hated to cut him. She moved her hips, slowly riding his cock. It felt amazing to her, and she hoped the pleasure distracted him. He fell back flat on the bed. His other hand gripped her hip, kneading her skin there.
She used the tip of the dagger to slice his thumb deep. He didn’t even flinch. Red blood welled up.
She tossed the dagger off the bed and lifted his hand, wrapping her mouth around his digit, sucking. The taste of his blood filled her mouth and she swallowed. She did to his thumb what she’d done to his cock earlier as she slowly moved, riding him.
He grew harder inside her, felt bigger. She moaned against his thumb, feeling secure that it was working the way she’d wanted it to. Taking blood was going to be fun for both of them.
Her body started to heat up and sweat broke over her. It was probably from taking his blood. It happened with Lycans, and she remembered his mother had been one. She moved faster, frantically. She was close to coming. Her clit throbbed and she reached down with her other hand, rubbing her fingertip against it. She sucked on his thumb harder.
Creed snarled and bucked under her, ramming his cock inside her. He almost unseated her but his hand gripping her hip helped avoid that. She cried out, climaxing hard.
She rode him and he sat up suddenly, wrapping his arm around her waist. He tore his thumb from her mouth, holding her with that arm too. She was crushed against him. He threw them to the side on the bed, his hips pumping furiously as he came. He clung to her as he shook from the force of his climax.