As was his usual routine, Marco awoke as the sun began to rise. Catherine was nestled against him and fussed as he sought to extract himself from their bed without waking her.

“Where are you going?” she asked sleepily.

“Not far, sweetheart. I was going to call down to have something light sent up and speak briefly with Giovanni.”

“Knot first, eat and speak later.”

He laughed. “No. First I get something more than a banana into you...”

“But I really liked that banana I didn’t have to peel. As I recall it spent a great amount of time in me and I didn’t like not having more of it.”

“Enough, mate. You will eat something, I will speak with Giovanni and the doctor will examine you to ensure that your wanton behavior last evening did not cause me to do you damage.”

She rolled over to face him, wrapping her leg over him, using one hand to draw his mouth to hers and grasping his already engorged cock, actually feeling his knot for the first time.

Marco groaned and lightly swatted her backside.

“Hey, you’re not supposed to do that.”

“I told you if you were well enough to misbehave I would deem you well enough to spank. One does not touch her mate’s knot unless she is ready to be breached by it.”

“You’re the one who’s not getting on with it. I’ve been pretty clear since I woke up that I wanted to be knotted and tied again.”

“I will not have the doctor, or anyone else for that matter, in here or on the phone when I am tied to you. Behave yourself or you may well find out how it feels to be knotted and tied on a well spanked backside.”

Catherine pushed at him and began to pout. She knew it was immature, but it was the only thing she could think to do. He laughed at her as she pouted.

“Such a naughty mate,” he said, continuing to laugh. “I will ease your ache in due course. Never forget the knot is painful to me until it is lodged and sealed within you.”

“Well, that helps some to know that.”

Before he knew what she was up to, she leaned down, kissed the knot, and licked down to the edge of his cock with a quick swirl of her tongue around the head. He was not quick enough to grab her as she jumped out of bed and ran toward their bath.

“Catherine DeMedici, you should count your blessings that you have just transitioned. Otherwise, mate, you would find yourself face down over my knee.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she laughed from behind the door. Then she opened it. “Not that I’m complaining, but you just called me DeMedici... do we not have weddings?”

“Not a typical human wedding. We take our vows, which we will do, but it is customary for the alpha’s mate to take his last name and we will have rings.”

“Will mine have a really big diamond?” she teased.

He laughed. He realized she filled his heart with such joy that he laughed often. “As big as you want. Do you want a wedding?”

She crossed back toward him. “It doesn’t have to be a wedding per se and I don’t really have anyone except Sera that I’d want to be there. But I’d like some kind of celebration with cake and food.”

He caught her and pulled her into his embrace, swatting her backside with a bit more sting than he had earlier. “Catherine, you are Italian now—there is always food.”

She laughed. “And fireworks... the kind in the sky—not the kind that you light up in my body.”

“We will have fireworks. Anything else?”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself to him.

“Actually, all I really need is you,” she whispered.

“That, my beloved, you have. Now put on one of your nightgowns and get back into bed.”

“I don’t have any nightgowns and even if I’d brought one with me to Italy, you brought me home naked in a bedsheet, remember?”

“Yes, I remember. As I recall when I brought you into our home for the first time you had a freshly spanked bottom and a pussy filled with my cum.”

Catherine blushed profusely. “Yes, I remember. And some day, Marco DeMedici, I will have my revenge. And I still don’t have any nightgowns.”

“Have you checked our closet?”

She couldn’t quite read his face. She turned and went to the closet, opening it. Where once there had only be Marco’s clothes, now there was an array of women’s clothing for every occasion. She walked in to get a closer look. She gasped. Designer labels and upper end brands only. Everything was in her size and eclectic style in hues suited to her coloring.

“Marco... how... when?”

“When you were transitioning and with the help of your friend Sera. She went and selected everything and I had one of our people go to Florence to bring them home. Valentina was insistent that she would arrange our closet. I’m quite sure she gave you the lion’s share of the space.”

Marco loved that Catherine seemed unaware that she was naked and that everything about her pleased him and caused his cock to harden even more and his knot to grow larger. He joined her in their closet and reached for something to put on.

“Tell me why you get clothes and I have to put on a nightgown?”

“Be grateful that I am allowing you to wear anything at all. Keep in mind, mate, I prefer you naked when we are alone in our room.”

“What’s the matter?” she said, closing on him. “Is the big bad wolf afraid he can’t keep his hands off of and his big bad knot out of his more than willing and very wet mate?” she said, drawing her hand between her legs and then tracing his lips with the silky evidence of her arousal.

Marco sucked her fingers into his mouth and hauled her up close to him with one hand, swatting her exposed behind with the other. She yelped.

“That is the last time I will warn you, mate. Now cease your playing. Put on a nightgown and go get back in bed. I will not warn you again. Bed, my Catherine, now.”

She grabbed one of the beautiful silk nightgowns and drew it over her head. “I much prefer when you want me in bed so that you can ravish me.”

He chuckled. “So do I. And it isn’t that I don’t plan to ravish you again this morning should the doctor pronounce you no worse for our lovemaking last night.”

Catherine went back to their bed and sat on the edge. Marco walked out, finishing dressing. As he put a beautiful braided leather belt through the loops of his trousers, he said to her, “In bed, Catherine, under the covers. Behave yourself.” He crossed the room and picked up the house phone. “Could you send the doctor and Giovanni up to me? Luca? Yes, if says he needs to see me. Also send up espresso and biscotti for me and ask the doctor what might be good for Catherine.”

Within short order, people descended on their room. A young man who resembled a high-end male model was the only one Catherine didn’t recognize.

“You must be Luca,” she called to him.

“Yes, Mistress,” he said as he crossed to her and paid homage as had the others.

“Luca?”

“Yes, Mistress?”

“Could we make it Catherine? Especially in our bedroom with me in a nightgown sitting in bed. Mistress seems a wee bit formal.”

“Yes, Mist... Catherine.”

“Good boy,” she crooned.

Marco growled low.

“Oh, hush,” she said. “He’s not an alpha and doesn’t have what I want. Now could you get this over with so I can have what I want?”

“What is it you need, Catherine? I will get it immediately,” said Luca.

“My mate is walking the razor’s edge she likes to traverse,” rumbled Marco.

“I could be more explicit but that would really piss you off... you know and embarrass you in front of our pack members?”

Marco caught her meaning and began to laugh. “Touché, my tesoro. Giovanni, I didn’t think this through. Let’s the three of us step outside to give the doctor and his patient some privacy.”

“Of course, Marco. Valentina will be up momentarily with your breakfasts.”

The three men stepped out, leaving Catherine alone with the doctor.

“Just so you know, you are to tell him I am perfectly fine and fit to do anything I see fit to do.”

The doctor smiled at her. “But that you are yet too weak to withstand any kind of correction?”

She laughed. “Yes. I’m so glad we understand each other.”

“You, Madonna, are going to keep our alpha on his toes. You should know that I owe Marco DeMedici everything. I was a medic. I was with Griffin when we got him back from those bastards. He should have died. All the time we were transporting him and as he recovered, he repeated one thing over and over... Catherine.”

“He never told me that.”

“I don’t think he knows,” said the doctor. “No one else—man or wolf—could have survived what he did. I have always believed the only thing that kept him from succumbing to his injuries, both physical and mental, was you. And for that, Madonna, those of us who call him alpha will always serve you. However, I will not allow you to endanger yourself.”

With that he proceeded to take her vital signs and to perform a thorough exam.

* * *

Marco had stepped outside his room to speak privately with Giovanni and Luca.

“Luca, you wished to see me?”

“Yes, Marco, I need to know if you approve the business plan that Griffin and I have proposed. Your Welsh wolf has a keen mind for business and already we are seeing that the workers at the new vineyard are happier and more productive. I hate to bother you, but I need to know how to proceed.”

“I must confess, Luca, that I have thought of little else than my mate. I trust both you and Griffin. If you both think the business plan is the way to proceed, I will sign off on it without reading it. If it fails, it falls on me.”

“Yes, Alpha. I understand. Your mate is captivating.”

Marco smiled as Luca turned to leave. “Oh, Luca...”

The young man faced him.

“See that a case of our best wine is sent to Catherine’s friend Sera in Florence. Make sure that whomever delivers it lets her know she is to call when she gets low so that we can keep her well supplied.”

Luca grinned. “Yes, Alpha.”

As Luca left, Giovanni turned to Marco. “How may I assist?”

“My Catherine has a younger sister named Shannon. She has gone missing. Speak with Griffin to get the information he got from an unscrupulous private investigator named Salvatore. Ensure that Salvatore knows I am aware of what he had planned for my Catherine. If he is still in Italy when I come out of seclusion with my mate, I will kill him.”

“I take it we are going to try to find the Madonna’s sister?”

“We will find out what happened to her sister one way or another.” Marco smiled. “So, she is the Madonna already?”

“I’m afraid so. My Valentina sang her praises and it is obvious that she has already brought you tremendous joy. The doctor was quick to chime in that he believes she had a hand in bringing you back from the edge of death. I told Luca to call her Mistress until I had checked with you.”

Marco laughed. “No, I always knew she was destined to be the Madonna. She is exquisite, isn’t she, Gio?”

Giovanni laughed with him. “That she is, but you are right, she and Valentina are going to create all kinds of mischief and mayhem.”

“The best mates are always the most spirited, are they not, old friend?”

“I fear it is so. I will leave you to enjoy your time alone with your mate.”

“Thank you, Gio. See that cook sends up regular meals and simply has someone knock when they are left outside the door.”

* * *

Catherine felt him enter the room before she saw him. She was surprised at the way her heart leapt with delight that he had returned.

“Marco, make him stop fussing.”

“I will do no such thing, my Catherine. You will do what the doctor feels is needed.”

“Your mate is a remarkable woman. She seems to have made a complete recovery and your loving care of her last night seems to have restored her to perfect health. I would have no trouble releasing her care completely to you.” He began to disassemble the IV equipment. “You, however, my Madonna, should know that also means should your mate deem you in need of correction he is free to do so.”

There was a knock on the door and Valentina stepped in. “I brought you breakfast as well as some water, fruit, crackers, cheese. All things you can munch on as you are hungry and able,” she said, giggling.

“Valentina,” Marco scolded.

“Oh, hush, she’s just being a realist. She knows I plan to take advantage of my wolf physiology and raging libido and fuck your brains out, not to mention that whole knotting thing you promised me,” Catherine said, laughing.

“I’m going to be leaving now,” Valentina said, escaping quickly. The doctor followed her.

“All right, my Catherine, you have had your fun and embarrassed me in front of the ranking members of our pack. You are done now.”

“Maybe. Then again, maybe not.”

Marco growled at her, irritated, but with an underlying seductive tone.

“I’m willing to call us even...” she said, hopping out of the bed, flinging off the nightgown, and launching herself into his arms, “if you are willing to take me back to bed and knot and tie me to you.”

“You must eat, my Catherine, in order to truly regain your strength.”

“How about we move everything to the side of the bed, you knot me, and once we are tied we can nibble and then fall back asleep.”

“And the next time we wake there should be an actual meal for us to eat and you will eat before I pleasure you yet again.”

She leaned and rubbed against him. “And is it such a chore to pleasure me, my mate?”

He chuckled. “It is, but I am a generous man and therefore am willing to sacrifice myself so that our pack may have its beloved Madonna.”

“I don’t deserve that title.”

“You do. You are beautiful beyond compare, smart, already protective of our people, and you have made your mate, their alpha, the happiest of men. You, my Catherine, are a Madonna of the first order. Now come to bed, mate, your service of my knot is needed.”

She giggled and practically ripped his clothes off before pulling him into bed on top of her. Marco wasted no time in knotting her, bringing her repeated orgasms and then flooding her womb with his seed. This time as she laid tied to him, he rolled over on his back closer to the food and they proceeded to nibble their way through the offerings and talk about things of little consequence.

It was only toward the end of the tie that the cloud of sadness washed over Catherine.

“We will find her,” he said quietly. “I have set Giovanni the task of gathering the information from Griffin as well as ensuring Salvatore has told us all he knows and ensuring that Salvatore leaves Italy. We will have someone follow him to see if he will take us to his masters.”

“With everything else going on, you still take steps to find my sister. No wonder I love you so.”

“As I have said, I will do whatever it takes to ensure you are safe, happy, and well loved.”

This time as he rolled her to her back in preparation of withdrawing from her, she resisted his uncoupling from her.

“No.”

“Yes, my Catherine, we will sleep, eat, and then I will fuck you long and hard until your pussy will welcome respite from my cock.”

“Never happen,” she said. “But I will agree only if you agree to knot me from behind tonight so that we can sleep tied together.”

He kissed her and nibbled on her bottom lip. “I will agree to your terms, but you drive a hard bargain.”

She snuggled into his embrace and was blissfully asleep within moments.