I take his hand and lead him from the bathroom back to the bedroom. I can’t seem to keep my hands off him, but I hear this is typical of new mates. I also need to calm him down a little. The heat is hitting us hard, and between that and his comments about me not leaving the house, I need to take the edge off for him before I broach the topic again. We can’t stay holed up in this house together. A week, maybe two, but eventually we have to leave. To face the pack. To face my brother.

Standing beside the bed, I watch as he lies down in the middle. I climb on and move between his legs, wanting to give him the same treatment he gave me earlier. I want to love every inch of his body with mine, and I want to make him feel as good as he made me feel.

His long legs are thick and muscular as they reach the end of the bed. He must have had to have made this bed specially, because it’s freaking huge.

I look over his body and see his big hairy chest rise and fall. His long arms are spread wide, allowing me to do to him what I please. I feel the bond between us growing stronger, and it lets him trust me in every way. He makes himself vulnerable for me.

His cock is pointing straight up, still hard even after all his releases inside me. He’s so thick and long, the head of his cock prominent as it slowly drips cum. It will stay that way until the full moon when the heat isn’t bearing down on us so hard. Shifters have a high sex drive by nature, so it will always be in some state of arousal, just not as much as it is now.

I run my hands up and down his legs and see him close his eyes, just enjoying the feeling. I lean down and place a kiss on the inside of his thigh. His big muscles twitch in response. I lick him there and look up into his eyes as I open my mouth, letting him see my intentions. I want to mark him as he marked me. It’s a little uncommon for the females to mark the males, but I’m more alpha than most and want to claim what’s mine. To show the other females in the pack that he is claimed. My scent will be all over him, but I want more. I want him to have a permanent reminder that he belongs to me as much as I belong to him. We are equals in our bond.

I bite into his skin, and he lets out a low howl. As I taste his cut flesh, I run my tongue over it to take the sting away and seal the wound. His cock twitches, and I see it grow even bigger. It makes all the muscles between my legs twitch and ache.

I lick my lips wanting to taste him, and I lean forward. Just as my tongue is about to make contact, Xavier growls and grabs my shoulders, pulling me up his big body. He thrusts into me before I can stop him, the sudden fullness making me moan loudly.

I look down at him and pout. “I wanted to taste you, too.”

“Later, my love. Much later. When I’m under better control.”

He pulls me to him and buries his face in my neck while I reach up, grabbing the headboard for support.

“Oh, God, don’t stop. Right there.” I grind down on his cock as he thrusts harder and harder. I may be on top, but he’s the one in control. Xavier is the one taking me and claiming my body. I’m his mate, and my soul is intertwined with his; my need is his need. From now until the end of time, when he desires me, my body will come alive for him.

I feel Xavier thrust hard one last time, pressing the base of his cock to my pussy as deep as he can go. His warm seed fills me, and like always, my body climaxes in response. I can feel my womb opening for him to accept his gift.

As if hearing my thoughts, he reaches up and rubs my lower belly. I put my hand over his and we smile at each other.

“I wonder how many we’ll have,” Xavier says in wonder.

“Between your alpha blood and my natural dominance, I’m sure we’re destined for lots and lots of babies. I’m just hoping for one little girl.”

Xavier reaches up with his other hand, touching my cheek tenderly. “I will keep trying until you have exactly what you want, love.”

Laughing a little, I nod as his words, knowing that he will. He will keep breeding me until I had my little girl, because my mate would stop at nothing to give me what I want. Just as I will with him.

I’ve come to notice that about him in the short time I’ve been with him. He might be totally dominant, but his urge to please me seems to eclipse that. At least I’m hoping that’s true, or he’s never going to let me out of this house.

“If you’re going to fill me with little pups, you’re going to have to feed me.” His face falls at my words, and before I can ask him what’s wrong, I’m in his arms and he’s striding through the house. He places me on a kitchen counter.

“I’m sorry. I let my needs get in the way of taking care of you. I’ll be a better mate.” He goes to pull away and I grab him, pulling him back between my thighs.

“First off, you gave me exactly what I wanted. Second, we’re both new at this so we’re going to stumble through what works for us. I don’t want you worrying that you’ve done something wrong. I’m yours and I’m not going anywhere. Trust me, if something is bothering me, you’ll be the first to know, big guy.”

Some of the tension leaves his body, and he cups my face. “It’s been so long since I cared about anything. I don’t think I could survive without you. In fact, I know I couldn't. I want to make you happy. I want you to be here because you want to, not because our mated bond makes you.”

“How do you know I don’t feel the same way? Hmm? You’re the biggest wolf I’ve ever seen in my life. Any shifter woman would be proud to be your mate.”

“You had me before the mating, or have you forgotten already? I was once so worried, I thought about stealing you on your eighteenth birthday and keeping you. I would lock us away somewhere our mates could never find us so we would never be apart, mating bond or not. Until…” His words trail off like they always seem to do when he thinks about his mother and sister.

“I missed you.” His eyes snap back to mine. “When you stopped coming and watching me, you took a piece of me with you. I finally just got it back.” I lay my hand over his heart and feel it beat wildly. “We were made for each other. I can feel it in my soul. I’m here because I want to be. I came for you in that cage not because of some mating heat, I came because you’re my other half.”

He pulls my face to his, our mouths locking in a soft kiss. When he pulls back, I can tell it took everything in him to do it.

“I need to feed you.” His tone is firm, like I might argue with him, but my stomach rumbles at the same time, agreeing with him. That makes him chuckle. Taking one last kiss, he pulls away from me and starts taking out what seems like everything he has in the refrigerator.

I look at all the items and wonder what he might possibly be making. He seems confused by what to do with all of it now that it’s out.

“Why don’t you go get me a shirt, and I’ll cook for us?”

“No.”

“No?” I raise my eyebrows at him, and he just shrugs. “It’s no big deal. I can cook. I actually really like doing it.”

“I meant ‘no’ to the shirt. I like you bare. I can mount you anytime I want.”

I can’t say that I disagree, enjoying my view of his naked ass strolling all over the kitchen, but I’m not cooking naked.

“I could get burnt from splatter.” He drops a pan he pulled from a drawer and leaves the kitchen heading down the hall without a word. Two seconds later, he’s back with a shirt and slides it over my head.

“The only marks on your skin are to be made by me.” He leaves the kitchen again, only to return with a chair. He puts it in the middle of the kitchen, planting his ass in it.

“I’ll make sure no harm comes to you while you cook.” He sits there, watching my every move. Okay then.

I keep it simple, grabbing some eggs and steak and getting to work on making us something to eat. It’s then I can take in my new home.

“You built this?” I ask, cracking the eggs into the pan and adding in a few ingredients. It’s gorgeous, but it seems kind of empty.

“I built it for you.” And there it is. He built the house, and he was waiting for me to make it a home. He wants me to bring it to life, something he might think I’ll do myself, but we’ll do it together. He and our kids will fill it with life, paint the bare walls with our memories.

Throwing the steaks on next, I try to broach the subject carefully. I thought about waiting until after the next full moon when the mating heat isn’t riding us so hard, but someone will come before that.

“We have to face them,” I tell him as I stir the eggs. A loud growl that would send most wolves running fills the room, but I don’t even flinch. In fact, I turn and roll my eyes at him. He’s all bark and no bite. Scratch that, he does bite but only in the most pleasurable ways.

“The sooner we get this over with, the better. Why put off the inevitable? We face my brother and be done with it.” I turn back to the stove, turning the steaks.

“What if he wants to challenge me? I’d kill your brother.”

I turn and face him. I think he could win in an alpha challenge against my brother. But I don’t want him to be alpha. I want him to be mine. I’ve seen what kind of responsibilities my brother has had leading the pack. I’ll share Xavier with no one, other than our pups.

“You want to be alpha?”

“No.” His answer is instant. “But I won’t let anyone take what’s mine. Alpha or not, I won’t tolerate that from anyone.”

“Would you do anything for me?”

“Without question.”

I smile at his words, but then I see something flash across his face. A touch of anger. “Except give you up,” he adds, as a knock lands on the door.