TWO MONTHS LATER
Head tilted, Bracken peered into the opening of the rockery. He could smell his little cat. Knew she was in there, so he waited patiently. After a few moments, a small silver-gray head appeared, amber eyes staring at him. “Morning,” he said softly.
Looking somewhat crankier than usual, she snarled.
His lips twitched. “Not feeling too good, huh? I’m not surprised, given the night your human half had. It’s called a hangover.” He could feel the echo of her headache through their bond. It still hadn’t clicked fully into place, but it had strengthened to the point that they felt each other’s emotions more strongly.
He tapped his fingers on the ground. “Come on out, gorgeous.”
She bared a fang instead, glaring at him like he was trespassing. Well, she didn’t share her rockery with anyone. Didn’t even like him or his wolf getting too close to it.
“Come on,” he coaxed. “I’ll pet you and cuddle you and make you feel better.”
She just continued to stare at him, seemingly unimpressed by the offer that Madisyn had no doubt communicated to her.
He pouted. “I’m lonely out here.”
There was that “Lord, give me strength” look again. He had to admit, he kind of loved it. Slowly, she walked out of the crevice, looking as disgruntled as always.
“Attagirl.” He carefully lifted her and held her against him, nuzzling her head. “So soft and snuggly. And, unlike your human half, you don’t smell like vodka.”
She snarled again, but he had the feeling that the sound came from Madisyn this time.
Knowing what would most relax his cat, he headed to the front porch and sank into a rocker. Stroking his hand over her fur, he used the heel of his foot to rock her gently. Soon she was purring. “Come back to me, Madisyn.” Seconds later, he had a naked woman in his arms.
Groaning, Madisyn buried her face in his chest. “Why does the sun have to be so bright?”
Considering the sky was pretty dull, he’d say that was her hangover talking. He gave her back a soothing rub. “Maybe if you hadn’t spent last night downing cocktails like it was your job, you wouldn’t be feeling like shit.”
“I didn’t plan the party. In fact, I don’t like having them for myself. It was Gwen. She’s human, so she’s into bachelorette parties and stuff.”
“Maybe it wasn’t the best idea for her to throw it the night before our mating ceremony.” He slowly massaged her head. “You gonna get through it okay?”
“Of course.”
“Good, because I’m not canceling it.”
“Nothing would make me cancel it.”
He kissed her temple. “Did you take any Tylenol?”
“Yes. Fingers crossed it works.” But she was too tired to actually cross them, so she did it mentally.
“What time are the girls coming to help you get ready?”
“Can’t remember. Brain is fried.”
He lifted her. “Then let’s get some coffee down you and perk you up a little, or you’ll never cope with having so many people around you.”
“You know me well.”
After she threw on panties and a shirt, they sat at the table while she drank her coffee and nibbled at a Danish pastry. By the time she’d finished both, the other adult females of the pack had appeared. They chased away Bracken, who went to Jesse’s lodge to get ready for the ceremony. Then they pretty much took over, ushering Madisyn into the shower and barking orders.
She didn’t have to lift a finger.
Shaya did her hair; Harley did her makeup; Ally set out her clothes; Gwen did her nails; and Roni—not a girly girl—supplied everyone with coffee. By the time they were done, Madisyn no longer looked half-dead.
The others then got ready in her lodge, and Gwen hurried away, since she was helping Kathy and a Phoenix Pack female, Grace, with the catering.
When it wasn’t long before it would be time to leave, the girls settled in the living area.
“You nervous?” asked Harley.
“About the ceremony itself?” Madisyn shook her head. “No. About dealing with all the fuss that comes with it? Yeah.”
“Don’t worry,” said Ally with a little wave of her hand. “You won’t be dealing with it on your own, since Bracken doesn’t like sharing you and won’t do it for long. Which is why he’s not happy that there’ll be so many guests.”
Madisyn initially figured that just Dawn and the Phoenix Pack would come. But the Olympus Pride, who’d formed an alliance with Nick, had insisted on coming after Ingrid heard about the ceremony through Dawn. Cain, Harley’s cousins, and Riley’s uncles—whom Madisyn had met back when Riley lived at the shelter—had also asked to come. And since Gwen’s family was currently visiting, they would also be there.
“Just don’t let my brothers get him alone,” said Roni. “On the night of my mating ceremony, they got Marcus drunk and tied him to a tree.”
Shaya smiled. “I don’t think they’ll dare do that to Bracken. Although they would if Madisyn was their sister too. They still find it weird that you’re mated, Roni.”
“You know,” began Madisyn, “I had a dream that Claudia and Daisy were at my mating ceremony, whacking the crap out of each other with inflatable badgers, and I kept telling them that they had to hurry because the Hogwarts Express would be leaving soon.”
Ally laughed. “Why inflatable badgers?”
“I don’t know. I was dreaming.”
The Tundra Pack hadn’t retaliated in any way. Because Claudia was in the public eye, her father’s death hadn’t escaped notice. In a TV interview, she’d stated that he and some of her pack mates had died in a battle with another pack, but she’d refused to state which one. So far no one had speculated if it was the Mercury Pack. Shifter business was shifter business, so the human authorities hadn’t gotten involved.
“Have you talked to Daisy lately?” asked Shaya.
Madisyn nodded. “She’s doing well.” After the battle with Archer, Madisyn had made a call to Daisy and told her what had happened. The sow then contacted her family, relayed the info, and soon after returned home. The last Madisyn heard, the clans were now operating separately as opposed to answering to one clan.
She snapped out of her thoughts as Shaya rose from the sofa. “Time to go,” the redhead declared.
Blowing out a breath, Madisyn stood. “I’m ready.”
They headed to a clearing deep in Mercury territory where other mating ceremonies had taken place. Everybody was gathered in a circle, surrounding Nick and Bracken. People parted to let Madisyn through, flashing her smiles and patting her arms or shoulders as she passed.
Her focus was on Bracken, who was looking absolutely delicious in his black slacks and the slate-gray shirt that matched the color of his eyes. A shirt she’d picked out. He drank in the little red dress she was wearing and gave her a look that said she would be wearing it when he fucked her later.
Nick spoke the ceremonial words. Though they had no power, they moved through her somehow. Or maybe that was Bracken’s sheer awe and contentment.
When the ceremony was finally over, Bracken pulled her close and kissed her. “All I want to do right now is take you home and do very filthy things to you.”
She smiled. “The wait will add to the tension.”
“No, it will just drive me crazy.”
The after-party kicked off quickly. People ate, drank, sang, and danced on the makeshift dance floor. Others sat at the tables or stood in groups, chatting and laughing. Bracken didn’t leave her side as they walked around, making an effort to speak with each and every guest. Greta was remarkably pleasant and seemed to be enjoying herself, though she probably only made the effort to mingle because she had Allen with her.
When Madisyn said as much to Makenna, the she-wolf nodded and said, “It would be so amazing if she imprinted on him.”
Gwen frowned. “Can that happen if she’s already been mated?”
“Technically, it shouldn’t happen,” replied Makenna. “But I’ve heard stories about people it has happened for.”
Jaime nodded. “Some say they’re just myths, but I’d like to think not. I’d like to think people who’ve lost their mates don’t have to grow old and die alone. Although I can’t imagine ever loving anybody the way I do Dante, so maybe it wouldn’t really work.”
Taryn touched the Beta female’s shoulder. “On to a cheerier subject. I’m so unbelievably psyched that you’re pregnant.”
“Me too,” said Jaime, smiling. “Dante’s been crowing like a rooster ever since he scented it on me. Like he thinks it means he has super sperm or something.”
Ally laughed. “Yeah, I think men believe it’s proof that they’re the ultimate virile man.”
Makenna grabbed Madisyn’s arm. “Ooh, did I tell you that you won the romantic trip to Rome?”
“Won?” echoed Bracken, looking at his mate. “You entered a competition to win a vacation?”
Madisyn shook her head. “No, Makenna entered my name.”
He blinked. “Makenna was the one who entered the competition, but she used your name . . . and it was chosen?”
Madisyn pursed her lips. “Yeah. That’s about it.”
“See,” said Makenna, “there is such a thing as luck.” Ryan grunted, and she glowered at him. “That was uncalled for, White Fang.”
With his mother and eldest sons close behind him, Vinnie appeared, sighing. “I believe this is yours,” he said to Taryn.
While the other females cooed over the baby that Ingrid was cradling, Taryn smiled at the laughing little boy whom Vinnie was holding upside down by his ankle. “What did you do this time?”
“He keeps engaging in staring matches with me,” Vinnie told her.
Grabbing her son and settling him on the ground beside her, Taryn shrugged at the cat. “Kye does it with all Alphas. As a young alpha, his nature tells him that he has to assert his dominance in such situations.”
“Yeah, I get that,” Vinnie said impatiently. “But throwing a fork at me when I won’t look away is going too far.”
Luke snickered. “It was pretty funny.”
Ingrid touched Vinnie’s arm. “You have to admit, Tate did a lot worse to you than that when he was a kid. Hell, he once tried to stick a fork in your eye.”
Luke frowned. “He didn’t do that to Dad; he did it to me. Almost took my damn eye out.” He glared at his brother. “Isn’t that right?”
“If you hadn’t snatched the chicken wing off my plate, it wouldn’t have happened,” said Tate.
“I only did that because you put vinegar in my soda.”
Tate shrugged. “You were pissing me off.”
“By doing what?”
“Existing.”
Sighing, Vinnie held up a finger to Bracken. “One, Slater. Stick to one.”
“Here, get some practice in.” Ingrid handed the baby pallas cat to Bracken.
Had Bracken guessed that sheer panic would race through him the moment he held the baby boy in his arms, he would have refused to take him. But he hadn’t refused, so now flashbacks of the last time he held a baby were flickering through his mind. He heard gunshots, explosions, and cries of pain. Saw blood and smoke and—
Bracken shook his head and fought back the memories. No. Not today. This wasn’t happening today.
He went to shove the baby back at Ingrid, but then he paused. What? Was he really going to freak out every time he held an infant? Really going to always feel the impact of a phantom bullet slamming into his back? Always expect the child to go limp in his arms and die? How could he have a family of his own if this was his reaction to cradling a baby?
Dammit, it was fucked up. He didn’t want this. Didn’t want the past getting in the way of his future. What happened wasn’t his fault and . . .
It wasn’t his fault.
As it distantly occurred to him that it was the first time he’d ever thought that and genuinely believed it, Bracken felt determination settle into his gut. He wouldn’t let the past mess up this day, his future, or anything else. Not ever again, not—
There was a strange bang in his chest that took his breath away, like he’d been punched right in the solar plexus. He felt the bond snap into place, felt Madisyn so much clearer than he had before, felt red-hot arousal flood his system and thicken his blood. And as his eyes met hers and saw the same realization that he knew would be in his, all he wanted was to be alone with her. “I think we need to go now.”
She swallowed. “Yeah, we definitely need to go.”
They said their goodbyes to everyone, thanking them for coming and accepting the good-natured ribbing they got for leaving early.
“You really have to go now?” Dominic called out.
Bracken didn’t break stride. “Yep.”
“But me and Madisyn haven’t had our Australian kiss yet.”
Bracken frowned at him, perplexed. “What?”
“It’s like a French kiss, but down under.”
Trick fisted Dominic’s collar and began dragging him away. “I got him, I got him.”
Bracken shook his head and looked at Madisyn. “I don’t know whether to kill him or pity him, because when he finally meets his mate, all the other males are going to give him hell.” The thought positively cheered him.
They didn’t say a word as they quickly walked to the lodge, sexual tension humming between them. They stumbled through the front door, mouths locked, tongues tangling, hands roaming. Without breaking the kiss, he picked her up and carried her upstairs and into the bedroom.
“The dress stays on.” Bracken tossed her on the bed and shed his clothes, sweeping his gaze over her, drinking in the breasts spilling out of her bra, the way the dress clung to every curve, and those long, smooth legs that felt too fucking good wrapped around him. There was no part of her he hadn’t kissed or touched. No erogenous zone he hadn’t found or exploited. He’d marked and claimed his mate in every possible way, over and over. And he’d do it again now.
Taking her fill of his tall, solid body, Madisyn swallowed. All hard muscle and sleek skin, he was a sight that would make any girl weak-kneed. Bracing herself on her elbows, she slowly let her legs fall open. His eyes dropped to her lacy red panties and gleamed with a dark, savage possessiveness that made her stomach clench. “Something you want, Bracken?”
Leaning over the bed, he planted a fist on either side of her head. “Already have everything I want.” His mouth devoured hers, greedy and possessive, until she melted into the mattress. Scooping her breasts out of her bra, he blew over those hard nipples, making her gasp. “All mine.”
Madisyn moaned as his hand shaped and squeezed her breasts. She arched into him, gripping the solid bulk of his shoulders. Raking his teeth down her throat, he pinched and tugged on her nipples until they pulsed with pleasure-pain. She curled her leg around his hip. “Fuck me.”
Bracken licked over his claiming mark, satisfaction welling inside him at just the sight of it. “Not yet.” Sucking on her pulse, he slid his hand into her panties and slipped a finger between her folds. Finding her slick, he groaned. Then he shoved that finger inside her, closing his eyes as her pussy squeezed it. His cock twitched in envy. “So hot.”
Madisyn bucked and writhed as he tormented her with his finger. Probed. Swirled. Teased. “Your cock, Bracken. I want your cock in me.” Instead, he slipped another finger inside and began thrusting slow and deep. Her pussy throbbed, burning for more. “Bracken, seriously—” She gasped as he drew her nipple into his hot mouth, sucked and grazed it with his teeth.
He released the taut bud with a pop. “Seriously, what?”
“Your fingers are great and all, but I need more.”
“Do you?” He kissed, bit, and suckled his way down her body, pausing to swirl his tongue around her belly button. He splayed his hand on her stomach. “My babies are gonna grow right here.”
“Kits,” she corrected.
Bracken smiled. “Pups.” He gripped her ass and lifted her pussy to his mouth, ready to serve himself. “I didn’t get my taste of you this morning.” He nuzzled her folds, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her need.
“You can have a taste later. I—”
“Want my cock, I know. You’ll get what you want in a minute.” He lashed her clit with his tongue, and she bucked. “First, I’m taking what I want.” He swiped his tongue between her slick folds, lapping up her cream, and his cock thickened even more.
Fisting the sheets, Madisyn shook and groaned as he ate at her pussy like he was starved for it. Growling against her flesh, he licked and sipped and stabbed his tongue deep. Little tremors racked her thighs, and her pussy fluttered and ached for something thicker.
Lava poured through her, burning her from the inside out, winding her so tight that she almost sobbed. Then her orgasm headed straight for her and—
He stopped, lowering her hips a little.
She hissed, punching the bed. “Do you have to be such a goddamn—” He slammed home. The breath whooshed out of her lungs as his long, thick cock stuffed her full. Even though she’d gotten used to his size, the abrupt possession burned a little. But she didn’t care. Just wanted more.
“Wrap your legs tight around me. Good girl.” He curled over her, once again putting a hand on either side of her head, keeping his arms straight. “You ready for me to fuck you?”
Clamping her inner muscles around his cock, wrenching a groan out of him, Madisyn nodded. “More than ready.”
Taking her at her word, Bracken powered into her at a furious pace. Slammed deep, pounded hard, demanded everything from her. He’d never get enough of this. Of her. Of that sex-crazed look, the jaunty bounce of her tits, the feel of her legs locked around him, and the hot clasp of her tight inner muscles squeezing his cock.
Madisyn clawed at his arms, so desperate to come she almost shook with it. A wet finger probed the bud of her ass—something he did so often that the muscles offered no real resistance, allowing the finger to smoothly sink inside. He’d fucked her there a few times, and she’d liked it more than she thought she would.
Straightening, Bracken shifted his angle slightly as he rammed harder, faster. “Come.”
A thumb circled her clit, and pure pleasure whipped through Madisyn, shattering her, trapping a scream in her throat. Then suddenly his cock and finger were gone, she was flipped onto her stomach, and he pulled her onto her knees.
“I’m gonna have this ass now.”
“Bracken—”
“Stay right there, don’t move.” He used first one finger, then two to ready her ass for him, stretching the muscles, making her moan. Once he sensed she could take it, he drove a third finger inside. Scissored, thrust, and swirled those fingers until she was demanding more. Only then did he withdraw them and replace them with the head of his cock.
“Be still for me.” Ever so slowly, he sank inside, groaning at how hot and tight she was. Loving the sight of his cock disappearing into her ass. Loving that it was made to take him. Finally balls-deep, he flexed his hips, smiling at her little gasp.
“Get it over with.”
He smiled. “You pretending you don’t like it? No sense in lying, baby.” Draping himself over her, he bit her earlobe. “I can feel through the bond exactly how much you like it.” He slowly pulled back his hips until only the head of his cock was inside her ass. Then he thrust deep, and a spike of pleasure rushed down their bond. His mouth curved. “Yeah, you like it.”
He pumped his hips at an easy pace, thrusting deep, careful not to hurt her. Soon she was demanding that he move harder, faster, pushing back to meet each thrust. He gave her what she wanted. Took what he needed.
When they were both close to the edge, he roughly plunged two fingers into her pussy and bit hard into her shoulder. Her orgasm hit him through their bond, heightening his own, making his cock thicken and throb before shooting jet after jet of come inside her.
Panting, he pressed a kiss between her shoulder blades. “You okay?”
“Hmm.”
Drained of energy, he collapsed beside her on the bed and pulled her close. “Shower. In a minute.”
“Hmm.”
They just lay there for a while, wordlessly recuperating.
Finally, she broke the silence. “The bond snapped into place out of literally nowhere. Or did something happen?”
“The last time I held a baby, he died in my arms.”
Madisyn winced, cursing herself for being so freaking stupid. “Oh, shit. I didn’t think of that. I’m so sorry.”
He cupped her jaw. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for.”
“No, I sensed your panic, but I thought you were just nervous about holding a baby—guys often are.”
“For a few seconds, yeah, I panicked. I was thrust back to that day at the movie theater, remembered how it had felt when Hayden . . .” He swallowed. “My first instinct was to shove the baby at Ingrid. Literally. And then I thought . . . if I can’t hold a baby, what does that mean for us? But it only means what I let it mean, doesn’t it? What happened that day was tragic, but I couldn’t allow it to intrude on the best day of my life. Couldn’t allow it to make me fear something as amazing as you having my baby, our baby. Couldn’t allow it to make me feel like I didn’t deserve to have you, or this, or anything else.”
And then Madisyn understood something. “You’d been embracing the misery just a little bit, hadn’t you?”
“Not consciously, but yes.” He smoothed a hand down her back, muttering, “Self-inflicted punishment.”
“Huh?”
“Before I realized you were my mate, I was planning to go roaming for a while. Jesse told me it would be a self-inflicted punishment. But I didn’t believe I was trying to punish myself. Maybe I was. Maybe I even subconsciously did it by denying myself every piece of the bond.”
“You made the conscious decision to stop that today.”
“I did. And I’m sorry—”
She put a finger to his mouth. “Don’t. It doesn’t matter.” But she saw he was about to apologize anyway, so she said, “If you want to apologize for anything, you can apologize for killing my Fiat.”
“What? I didn’t do anything. It was old, and it had seen the last of its days.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Nu-uh. It was going fine, and then suddenly it mysteriously refused to work.” She was pretty sure he’d done something to either the battery or the engine—maybe even both—so he had a reason to buy her the new Audi that showed up in their parking lot the next day.
“Sometimes cars just go out like that.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sure.” As he stared at her, slowly tracing every detail of her face with his eyes alone, she asked, “What?”
“I like to look at you.”
“I kinda like looking at you too.” She kissed his jaw. “Ingrid’s right. You’re quite a dish.”
His mouth curled. “Yeah, you told me that a week ago.” The memory tickled him.
Her brow creased. “No, I didn’t.” And she didn’t like the little twinkle that had just entered his eye.
“Yes, you did. You said those exact words.”
“No, I really didn’t.” She was pretty sure she’d remember.
“You did.”
“When?” she challenged.
“When you were asleep. You also said I had the best ass in the history of ever.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “Then you told me in the next breath, ‘No, I will not buy you any more fucking gravy boats—this bullshit is over.’”
She scrunched her eyes tightly shut, face reddening. “I still maintain that you make this crap up.”
“I don’t,” he said, chuckling. “Last night, you started yelling, ‘Left! Left! Platform nine and three-quarters is on your left!’”
She shook her head. “I don’t believe you.”
Shoulders shaking, he kissed her nose. “Sleeping next to you is always entertaining, baby.”
Splaying her hand over his face, she turned him away and mumbled, “Whatever.”