Piper was in a lovely chapel wearing a dress that was a dream. A woman she’d never met handed her a bouquet of pure white roses, the smell tickling her nose. Anson was walking her towards the open doors of the chapel. She could hear a soft song playing and Anson paused at the opening.

She felt nervous and didn’t want him to think that she wasn’t really choosing this. She tried to offer him a wonky smile and he smiled back. He leaned towards her and placed a soft, delicate kiss on her lips. The touch calmed her. It wasn’t like his other kisses. This one was more about him telling her she wasn’t alone.

“Together,” he whispered.

“Together,” she replied.

Anson took her arm and hooked it over his. They walked slowly through the empty chapel towards a woman dressed in a suit at the end. She was smiling at them and Piper couldn’t help but smile back at her. She knew if she had to walk down the aisle by herself, she might not have made it. With Anson at her side, she didn’t feel like was walking towards her doom. He was standing so proud and tall next to her that she couldn’t help but let that pride seep into her. She was a catch. She did have her shit together. Anson’s enthusiasm was incredibly validating for her.

She was about to marry Anson of Clan Fehu. It was an honor and Piper was going to be his mate. The enormity was sinking in and she realized this wasn’t by accident. Anson would have to be beyond sure about her to go this far. He was hers.

When they reached the altar, the officiant gave a speech directed at just them. She spoke of choice and conviction. Of what it meant to stitch your life to another person. That together they would weave their future as they saw fit. Like a blanket of love and devotion that would warm them through the rest of their lives.

The words touched Piper’s heart and when it came to her vows, her voice never wavered. She let her heart speak for her and she made her promises with an ease that really didn’t surprise her. Anson’s vows had the weight of his lifelong pledge. He looked so earnest and proud.

When it came time for the rings, Anson pulled out two matching rings from his pocket. Piper looked up in surprise and he just said, “Nadia.” The rings were matching silver bands with black engraved vines around them. Hers was a bit loose, so she curled her finger around it. Her eyes met his and he looked calm and happy.

The officiant gave them a moment of contemplation where Piper looked past the silver flash of Anson’s Kindred eyes and saw his love shining back at her. She hoped that he saw something similar in her eyes. They were announced husband and wife to the empty room and Anson barely paused before planting a kiss on her that was almost not decent for mixed company.

“Congratulations,” the officiant said when Anson finally let her up for air.

Piper looked at the woman then back to Anson. “We did it.”

“We did, now we just need a few photos then it’s time to make this permanent.”

Piper didn’t comment. Human marriages were anything but permanent. Kindred didn’t marry anyone that wasn’t a mate. So for them, it was.

A photographer came down the aisle and started taking photos. At least she’d have those photos. Not like ones from the best wedding photographers she’d spent months researching, but then she didn’t need the photos. She had the memories.

Anson tipped the man and led her out of the chapel. They crossed through the hotel and were stopped over and over with strangers congratulating them. Her bouquet was a dead giveaway along with their rings and smiling faces. Their enthusiasm had Piper smiling and thanking them. It was obvious that Anson was Kindred, so they probably didn’t see that a lot.

People even handed over chips. Anson told her she could gamble them later. He was on a mission to hit the elevators and Piper couldn’t help but giggle as he dragged her along. He punched the close button and they rose up. Piper was up against the wall being kissed out of her mind.

The elevator opened and people got on and she didn’t even bother looking. Anson didn’t stop kissing her so she figured they were getting a free show. Good for them. She heard some snickers but didn’t care. Anson’s hands were roaming over her body and she was starting to feel a little desperate.

He only broke the kiss when they made it to their floor. She followed blindly behind him, holding the skirt of her dress up so she could keep up with his large strides. They stopped at the end of a hallway, a set of double doors in front of them. Anson swiped the card and she followed him in. The door clicked shut behind her and Anson pulled it back open, putting a Do Not Disturb sign out before shutting it again and dropped the security lock in place.

Piper took in the large room with a seating area with couch and chairs, and the bed on the other side near the windows. The sun had already set so the view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows showed all the lights of Vegas.

“Why don’t you take a moment to yourself,” a gruff-sounding Anson said behind her.

Piper looked over her shoulder at him. He was leaning on the door looking very much the predator ready to pounce.

“Okay,” she replied. The bathroom she found was as big as her first apartment. The hotel had brought up her bag from the dress shop along with her purse. She didn’t bother with too much makeup, just what she’d managed to spackle on in the limo. Looking in the mirror, she saw she still had smoky eyes but the lipstick she’d put on was long gone. She looked well kissed. She also looked well loved. It was a new look for her. One that she’d never seen before.

Carefully removing her dress and hanging it on a hook on the back of the door, she found a fluffy white robe and slid it on. Taking the jeweled band out of her hair, she laid it on the counter after kicking her pretty heels under the counter.

Piper knew she was taking a step that was as final as it was beginning. There would be no one else for her after tonight. Anson would share his mate mark with her and she’d be his. Piper could almost laugh at the irony. The universe holding someone just out of her reach for so long that when it finally gave it to her, it came with a permanent brand.

Pulling open the edge of the robe, she ran her hand over the smooth skin over her heart. There was something so magical about Kindred marks and soon she would have one herself. It put her in a different group. That mark would never be met with pity or condescending faces. People would look at her with envy. It was the look she had probably given any number of mates over the years.

Looking for a feeling of doubt, Piper couldn’t find any. She glanced down at the ring on her finger and it felt even better than the engagement rings she’d worn before. The ring looked like Anson—strong and simple. It also felt like it had a little of her in it. Tough, continuing, could take a few knocks because it wasn’t fragile. It was perfect.

“All or nothing,” Piper said to herself in the mirror. She knew the answer. She wanted it all.

Opening the door, she walked out to find Anson standing looking out the window. He turned and Piper took in his open shirt that he’d pulled out of his pants. He was tan, his abs shadowed in the soft light of the room. He’d kicked off his shoes and there was an open bottle of champagne on the coffee table. Anson picked up a glass and walked towards her. She accepted it and took a sip.

“We’ll need to go shopping tomorrow. We might look funny at the pool with you wearing a suit from work.”

“You’re going to let me outside tomorrow?” she teased.

“I am but it’s so I can see you in a bikini.”

“Hah, like I’d wear a bikini,” she mocked.

“You will because I think you’ll look amazing in it. You won’t care what anyone else thinks,” he said confidently.

“You seem pretty sure of yourself.”

“Are you willing to wear a bikini just knowing that I will be thinking how sexy you are and how much I want to drag you back to this room? You can tease me all you want.”

“I do like that idea. Then again, maybe tonight might change your mind about me.”

“Oh, my sweet mate, you have no idea how wrong you are.”

Anson started taking predatory steps towards her. Piper took another sip of her champagne before wisely setting it down on a nearby table. When he reached her, he swept her into his arms and she let out a small surprised noise. He walked her to the bed and dropped her in the middle of it with a bounce.

“Open your robe,” he ordered.

Piper loved the look in his eyes. He looked hungry and impatient. Pulling the belt on the robe, she took each lapel in her hands and pulled them open. She wore a strapless bra that matched her white lace panties. The saleswoman had hooked her up in the dressing room as a surprise for Anson.

By the look in his eyes, he liked what he saw. His gaze started at her breasts and went down her legs, pausing at the juncture of her legs before coming back up to her eyes.

“If you like that lingerie you better take it off yourself.”

Piper did like it and started removing her bra, keeping her eyes on his. She didn’t know if she was being seductive, but she was sure as hell trying. It occurred to her that if she just took Anson’s heavy breathing and dilated pupils at face value, she really didn’t need to put any extra effort in. He looked like he was barely holding himself back.

Piper dropped her bra off the edge of the bed and slid her panties down her legs. Anson’s eyes were on her breasts then they moved down to her trimmed mound. The urge to keep her legs closed must have passed over her face.

“Open them,” Anson ordered, his voice rough.

A thrill shot through Piper at his command. She felt a sense of freedom when he told her what to do. It was what she already wanted to do, but her not having to make that decision gave her a joy she’d never felt before. Piper slid her legs apart. Anson was standing at the end of the bed, his arms folded over his chest. He looked at her, all of her. She lay there, waiting for what he wanted her to do next.

“Touch yourself,” he said quietly.

“What?”

“Show me how you want me to touch you.”

Piper paused then moved her hands up to her breasts. She cupped both of them, lifting the weight of them and pinching her nipples.

“Hard or soft?” he asked.

She had to think about it. “Both?” she said as a question.

A sly smile passed over his lips. “Continue,” he said.

Piper let one of her hands slide down her body until she reached her hot wet core. Her clit was buzzing with desire, Anson’s eyes were better than any vibrator. She lightly flicked her finger over her clit and gasped. Anson growled. Piper let her fingers tickle over her satin skin.

She had no idea how long Anson was going to keep this up, but she was willing to play. It was slowly sinking in that she wasn’t naked in front of a man she knew. She was naked in front of her husband. That thought struck straight to her heart. The tears started to well in her eyes and in a flash she found her hands over her head and Anson between her legs.

“Baby, what?”

“You’re my husband,” she said with a sniff.

He gave her a confused look. “What gave it away, the wedding ceremony we just had?”

“But you’re really my husband. This is my wedding night,” she choked out.

A look of concern passed over his face. “Piper, are you a virgin?”

Piper laughed. “No! It’s just that I’m naked, in front of my husband.”

“Babe, you are. You’re also naked in front of your mate. And I have plans to keep you like this as much as I can.” Anson leaned down and kissed both of her eyes. “Piper, you’re mine. That means your breasts, your pussy, your ass, it’s all mine. This,” he said, bringing her hand down to the front of his pants, “is yours, no one else’s.”

“Hmm, all mine,” she purred.

“Piper, say the words. Tell me that I’m yours and that I can have you. There is no changing your mind tomorrow.”

Looking him in the eye, she felt peace wash over her. It was like the universe was telling her to stop fighting against happiness. She’d been through hell, now was her chance for a little heaven.

“I won’t change my mind. I believe in you. I believe in us… I hear what the universe is saying. I believe we’re meant to be.”

Anson let out a rumble that she felt straight to her heart. His eyes flashed in the room first silver, then yellow. He kissed her then and it felt like the first time. Piper didn’t know what the mating call sounded like to Anson, but she heard the rush of blood in her ears and her own moan echo in the room.

“That’s also what I wanted to hear,” Anson said as he moved his kisses down to her neck. Piper moaned louder, tilting her head to give him even more room. When he reached her breasts, she lost track of the sounds she was making. Anson put her hands back above her head, clasping them with a firm grip. His other hand he used to lift her breast to his mouth. He was hard then soft, teasing her until she was squirming under him.

“Piper, can I trust you to keep your hands above your head if I let go?”

“W-What, why?”

“Because I want you to. I want you to offer your body up to me. Trust me to make you feel good.”

“Okay,” she said, really hoping she’d be able to remember to not forget what he asked. She also really wanted him to touch her. If felt like since the first kiss they’d been in constant foreplay. Even her nap on the plane didn’t offer any respite. She’d dreamed about Anson, his color-changing eyes, his bear, it was like he’d invaded her mind.

“You are so beautiful. Your skin is soft, you smell like all of my favorite things. Your breasts fit perfectly in my hand,” he said, emphasizing his statement by sucking a nipple into his mouth and molding his hand around her flesh.

“Now I get to taste the best part of you. Legs open, hands up, yes?”

“Y-yes,” she managed.

Anson gave her another kiss before sliding down her body. Piper held her breath as he nipped her skin as he moved down. She wanted to look, wanted to see him between her legs, his dark head all she could see.

She peeked down and watched as he pulled off his shirt, revealing his broad, muscled shoulders, her eyes zeroed on his reflective mate mark. Piper felt his warm breath over her pussy and she let her eyes close. Anson was a master, his tongue swiped through her, stopping at her clit before rumbling in his chest. The sounds traveled through her and made her buck under him.

“Settle,” he ordered.

Fuck that! She didn’t want to settle. She wanted to grab his head and shove him to her clit. She wanted his tongue and fingers in her pussy. Piper wanted to kiss him, bite him. She had no idea what that meant, not ever having been a biter before. Chalking it up to her preconceived notions of how Kindred had sex, she tabled it for later.

It wasn’t possible for her to think of anything as soon as he started licking her. His tongue was oddly rough and made every swipe feel like a touch of his hand.

“Anson,” she breathed.

He growled a response. She felt that one straight to her heart. Anson was building her to a hard and fast orgasm that she was desperate for and nervous about. But if there was any way to show Anson that she was one hundred percent on board, it was to show him how good he made her feel. And at that moment, he was making her feel like she was about to explode. Rotating her hips, Piper tried to urge him to stay on her clit. She was desperate to come now and didn’t want to be teased anymore.

“This one you can have now. The next one I want you to hold out for me. Can you do that?”

Piper would have agreed to anything at that moment. “Yes, yes!” she pleaded.

Piper cracked wide open as Anson flicked his tongue over her clit in a rapid motion then sucked all of her into his mouth. She came apart piece by piece, her body breaking off with every shock of pleasure that went through her. The scream echoing through the room was hers and she knew she would be sore, her muscles locking as she let the orgasm finish its course.

“That’s right, take it all,” Anson said, easing his thumb up to replace his mouth.

Piper lay twitching as she tried to catch her breath. “That almost killed me,” she panted.

Anson chuckled, “I doubt that.” He stood up and Piper managed to crack an eye open at him.

“Why do you still have clothes on? It’s not fair,” she pouted.

“Because you haven’t taken them off me yet. Why don’t you come over here and take them off?”

Piper embarrassingly shot off the bed, which made Anson’s eyes twinkle. She had his belt unbuckled and his pants and boxers slid to the floor in a moment. That also left her squatting in front of his thick hard cock.

“Damn,” she whispered before she could catch herself.

“Babe, that’s great for my ego.”

“I don’t tell lies.” Piper never thought of herself as an overly aggressive person in the bedroom. Now that she had the use of her hands she wasn’t going to let that go to waste. Bringing her hands around his thick length, she marveled at the silkiness of him. Her mouth came up to the tip and she flicked her tongue over as a test and Anson let out a grumbling noise, so she did it again. She couldn’t wait and she drew his length into her mouth. She wanted him to lose control this time. Yell out her name.

It was nice having Anson take care of things, relieving her of some of the control. But in this moment, taking control of this situation made her feel confident and secure in her decisions.

Anson brought one hand down and rested it on her cheek. She looked up to him and his eyes were glowing their beautiful golden yellow as he looked down. Knowing he was close made her double down on her efforts. She kissed and sucked him using her hands to bring him to the absolute edge.

“Babe, stop.”

Piper didn’t want to stop but she did reluctantly.

“On the bed,” he ordered.

Piper paused for a moment debating, eyeing his wet cock and then him. She was not a dumb woman. Scrambling back to the bed, she kept her eyes on him as he crawled onto the bed and in between her legs.

“Don’t make me not touch you,” she said softly.

“No, mate, you can touch me all you want.”

“Good,” she said running her hands through his hair, grabbing fistfuls and bringing his mouth down to hers. She liked getting what she wanted. And right then she wanted his mouth and his cock.

“I may never let you out of this bed,” he growled against her mouth.

“That sounds good to me,” she breathed.

She could feel his cock pulsing between her legs and she wiggled her hips. Anson leaned up and fit the tip of his cock against her slick opening. She was drenched from coming before and he slid into her in one movement.

Piper gasped as her pussy stretched around him. He was big and long, filling her completely. “That… is… soo… good,” she gasped.

“Always us, always together, Piper,” he said as he groaned and pushed his hips into hers. He swung one of her legs over his hip and started thrusting into her.

“You’re so wet and tight, baby. You’re perfect.”

Piper could believe it when Anson said it. She couldn’t answer, her mouth was busy trying to taste every bit of skin she could reach. Placing kisses over his chest and shoulder, she couldn’t resist a small nip. That nip earned her a growl and she loved it.

“Piper, you’re an animal,” he said kissing her hard.

“I need to mark my mate, don’t I?”

“My mark is yours, everyone will know I’m yours,” he said, his breathing coming fast. Piper wanted him to never stop, but she felt the climax building again. It was as if she never came down from the last one. She clung to his shoulders, digging her nails into his flesh, squeezing his muscles under her hands. She wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him closer, deeper. Piper set up a chant of moans with demands of faster and harder. Not that she could take any more than he was already giving her. He couldn’t get deeper, she was full of him and felt consumed.

“Babe, let me see those eyes,” he ordered.

Piper pulled back and was so close she had to use the last ounce of control to not come just seeing his silver eyes reflect back at her.

“Come with me,” he urged.

“What if I can’t?” she gasped.

“You will,” he said.

Anson’s hand slid between them and he settled his thumb over her clit, pressing and rubbing as rapidly as he was fucking her.

“Anson!”

“That’s it, together, Piper.”

Piper didn’t want to let him down. She squeezed her pussy around his cock hoping he was as close as her. “I’m coming,” she gasped, the climax already fluttering through her pussy and exploding from her clit.

Anson thrust into her hard and let out a roar that made her ears ring. Her own screams were drowned out. She could feel Anson’s cum filling her, hot and wet. A second orgasm hit, overlapping her first, her body not able to keep up with the pleasure that was coming at her from all sides.

“Piper!” Anson let out as he shuddered and stopped himself from dropping down on her. He was breathing heavily, his chest and mate mark glistening with sweat.

Piper had gone limp, her limbs twitching as the final shocks took their time working through her body. He finally lay next to her and pulled her into his arms. “Just us, babe.”

“Just us,” she said on a very contented sigh.

The cobwebs that had formed over her sex life had been shaken off for sure. That she had expected. What she hadn’t expected as she lay looking at the expanse of his chest under her cheek, was that the cobwebs over her heart seemed to have floated away too.