Chapter 18

Chapter

Eighteen

M ariah found a much stronger version of herself over the next thirty-six hours. Simon was intent on inflicting as much pleasure on her as he possibly could. She was no fool, and realized he meant to bind her to him in as many ways as they had time for. Lying wrapped in his arms as the sun began to rise, his deep, rhythmic breathing of sleep seemed to provide a foundation on which she could build a life with this wolf who had claimed her.

But in this moment, time was not their friend. Most alphas spent days, if not weeks, in seclusion with their mates to establish the essence of what would come to define their relationship. But this was not a luxury they could afford. They. She loved the fact that Simon always referred to them as a team and seemed to consider her as his partner in all things. Yes, they—together—needed to reestablish the London Pack's place in wolfen society and deal with the Darkness.

Simon had filled her in on all that was known about the evil that had possessed Kat. He went over the notes he made at the meetings he'd had with Mariah's friends. It became clear that the enormity of what they didn't know was staggering.

Mariah eased from their bed, picked up the shirt Simon had worn at the gala, slipped it on, and wandered out onto the balcony. Balcony was a relative term when it came to a castle. She grinned; it was hard to believe she was really going to live in a castle and would one day be Lady Howard. She giggled. It wasn't something she did routinely, only very rarely when she was sublimely happy.

"That's reassuring," he rumbled as he walked outside, having pulled on his trousers, zipping them up, but not fastening the top button.

She turned to look at him, resting against the balustrade, aware that he could see her pebbled nipples poking through the shirt material and most likely smell her arousal.

"Do you have any idea how incredibly beautiful you are just standing there with the sunlight filtering through the archways, dressed only in my shirt?"

Mariah straightened and walked over to him, standing on her tiptoes. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him, allowing him to take over and dominate the kiss. Even when he was gentle, her fated mate was unmistakably a dominant, alpha wolf. How had she ever thought otherwise.

"Would I be a horrible mistress to the pack if I said I wanted more time alone with you?"

His smile was a bit sad. "No, and I wish I could give it to you."

"You will," she whispered. "Just not now. There's too much else that needs your..."

"Our," he corrected.

Mariah laughed. "Our attention, starting with brunch downstairs. You know that I have absolutely nothing appropriate to wear, right?"

"My beloved, you are Mistress of the Pack. You deem what is appropriate. Besides, my guess is that if we open the door into the hall, we'll find hot coffee, tea, scones, and your luggage."

"Thank God, because that dress that I wore to the gala would be a bit much for Sunday brunch."

"What?" he said. Confused, she looked at him. "A shadow crossed your face just now. What was it?"

"Nothing. It was foolish."

"If it concerns you, it is not foolish. Tell me," he commanded softly. It fascinated her that Simon didn't need to raise his voice or growl when ordering her to do something.

"I was just thinking, even though I lost the dress I wore to your mother's dinner party, it was my favorite of the two I bought that day. Don't get me wrong, the gala dress is gorgeous and given the same choices, even knowing what I know now, I would most likely still bite your hand, shift, and run like hell."

Simon chuckled. "And what is it you know now that you didn't know then?"

She rubbed herself against him. "That you are my fated mate and that you love me."

His hands drifted down to cup her ass and draw her close. She could feel his erection as it pulsed between them.

"And how do you know that? I don't recall telling you."

"You didn't and you don't have to. I'm also certain that since you bound, gagged, and kidnapped me I figured out that I am madly in love with you."

"My apologies, my beautiful mate. I should have told you when I drove my knot up into you the first time."

"You were feeling fairly primitive and possessive, as I recall."

He chuckled, the sound tumbling around her and wrapping her in a sensual cocoon. "Yes. I believe your recollection is correct."

Reluctantly, she turned Simon loose and walked to the door of the suite to retrieve the tray and her luggage as Simon wandered into the bath. The scones smelled heavenly. "Babe, there's a note from Bryson."

"Open it and tell me what it says."

She took the note to the door of the bath and admired her mate's physique. He was the most gorgeous hunk of male wolf—hell, male anything—she'd ever seen.

When he turned and saw the look in her eyes, he laughed. "You keep looking at me that way, my mate, and not only will I take you back to our bed and spend the day ravishing and knotting you, but I'll spank you for distracting me."

Mariah laughed. One of the things she was coming to appreciate about her mate was his open, honest, and straightforward manner. He never shied away from difficult questions or feelings. It was as if a part of her she hadn't known existed before came alive when he'd first touched her.

"Hmm… I think you're going to make up excuses to spank me or tie me up because it does as much for you as it does for me." He chuckled, not denying it. "And if I have to endure a spanking in order for you to fuck me hard and knot and tie me repeatedly? Sign me up."

He smiled at her, and Mariah realized her mate was not a man to turn down a blatant invitation to have at her. Before she knew it, Simon was on her, fisting her mane and dragging her back to their bed. Dragging was a relative term, since she wasn't actually resisting. Tossing her over the edge of the bed, he pulled up the hem of the shirt she wore, exposing her still-aching backside. There were no two ways about it: when Simon wanted to give a discipline spanking, he knew what he was doing.

The bed was tall enough that when he bent her over the edge her feet didn't touch the ground, but it was still the perfect height for her mate to easily mount her. He pressed her upper body into the mattress, pinning her down, and she heard the distinctive sound of his trousers unzipping. Without a word or any preliminaries, he stepped between her legs, guiding his hard cock to her core's entrance, and shoved himself in.

Mariah didn't want to think about what it said about her that she orgasmed just from his possession alone. And this wasn't the first time. Something about the way Simon handled her, with a deft combination of dominance and sensuality, really did it for her. He hardly had to do anything at all for her to be ready to fuck, and multiple orgasms were a given. She clutched at the bedding, growling as he began to pound into her.

Simon was such a civilized, cultured man, and yet he was all male alpha wolf—dominant, possessive, territorial, and with the glorious ability to knot her. Fucking her hard, he slammed into her with no sign of stopping. It was ecstasy and she reveled in it, writhing beneath him as he slid his length repeatedly over her G-spot. She screamed his name in unabandoned, hedonistic joy.

Her second orgasm exploded and enveloped them both, triggering his own. With a final, brutal thrust, he buried himself deep inside her and found his own release. He fell forward, allowing her softness to support him as he flooded her pussy with his seed.

He lay still on top of her, allowing her to feel their connection a moment longer before reluctantly withdrawing and then spanking her three times.

"That, my beautiful mate, is for enticing me and making us late."

"So not fair," she said, without rancor.

They both knew those three smacks had reignited her arousal and it would simmer all day until he could mount and fuck her again. Simon took the note from her hand, which had clutched the piece of paper during their entire encounter.

"Ah, good. Graham was able to arrange for our friends to join us for brunch and your parents have tentatively accepted as well. Should I be concerned that it wasn't an unequivocal yes?"

Mariah laughed. "Not at all. That's my father reminding my mother that regardless of how much he adores her, he is still her alpha. On the other hand, if my mother found out he knew about your plan to kidnap me, she may very well have punched him and left a mark. When that happens, she's usually forced to stay naked in their room. I used to think that was dreadful and humiliating for my mother."

"Humiliating? How so?"

"The whole pack knows he's making her available for whatever he might want to do to her. Now, she probably doesn't think that's the worst thing that can happen. She rather likes my father's more primitive side. I don't know if you managed to see my parents together, but they have a major thing for one another."

Simon shook his head. "And mine sleep in separate bedrooms, often in separate residences. Let's try to emulate your side of the family in that regard."

Mariah hopped off the bed. She charged toward Simon, and jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. "I'm game if you are. Maybe we could set up a small art studio in that one little area with all the windows."

Simon laughed. "Naked welding—it could become a thing."

"Do you know the kind of fumes that are put off by welding? Not to mention sparks flying. I don't think you want me welding in the nude."

"Good thinking. In that case, how about if we build you a studio for your sculpting with a proper ventilation system?"

His eyes glowed with humor and lust—it was a heady combination—as he twirled her around before taking her into the bath where they shared a shower and got ready to greet their pack and guests. He was leaning against the bathroom door when she went to open her luggage to find something to wear.

"What?" she asked him, suspiciously.

"Open your bag and see," he said, merriment dancing in his gorgeous blue eyes.

She did so and gasped. While all the clothes she had brought with her to England were inside, there was also a sweater she had admired when she'd been on her own the afternoon of the gala. It was made of vicu?a fiber, which was the fleece of the small cinnamon-colored cousins of the llama found only in the Andean plateaus. The Spanish once called vicu?a cloth of gold.

She pulled the sweater from the bag and held it up. The material was more expensive even than cashmere but was also the softest she'd ever felt. The natural cinnamon-colored sweater was casual with long sleeves, a deep V-neck, and a hem that came to just above the waistband of her favorite jeans.

"There should also be another pair of those boots you wore to my mother's aborted dinner party where you gave me that first love nip. They didn't have another dress. It was one of a kind."

Mariah laughed. Her bite had been a whole hell of a lot harder than just a nip. She pulled out the box and when she opened the lid, not only did she find the butter-soft boots, but also a small jewelry box from Boodles.

"The matching wedding bands?" she asked.

"No, but I'm glad to see you haven't forgotten that. Those are in my top dresser drawer, which you are not allowed into. I have your ring and collar, and I'd like you to have them on when we go down."

"I figured that, and for what it's worth, I'll be proud to. So, what's in the Boodles box?"

"I had Destiny, the girl who works there, pick up the sweater for me and she had the perfect earrings to go with it."

Mariah shook her head. "Of course she did." When she opened the small box, she gasped. It took a lot to make Mariah do that, but the earrings qualified. They were made of pieces of jade in various shades. Far less costly and more casual than the diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds of her ring and collar, but they coordinated in a beautiful, funky way. "I love them."

After she got dressed, she arranged her hair in a casual style that let her dark mane fall around her shoulders but kept her face visible. She did her make-up in her normal minimal way. When she looked up from putting on her mascara, Simon was staring at her.

"What?" she asked a bit self-consciously. "Don't I look all right? I can wear something fancier…"

"You look perfect and very much like you. You are absolutely the most gorgeous creature I've ever laid eyes on, and I can't believe I get to fuck you every day for the rest of my life."

"Only once a day?" she teased. "Maybe I'd better find another wolf."

He smacked her behind. "Brat."

Simon gently fisted her hair. Even when he wasn't tugging on it very hard, she found the gesture wildly arousing. Who was she kidding? She found everything about Simon Howard wildly arousing. He was sex on a stick and a god among wolves.

He opened the top drawer of his dresser and took out one ring box as well as the flat, rectangular box that held her collar. He held the collar in front of her, and she sighed and turned so he could place it around her throat, kissing the nape of her neck as he locked it shut. He turned her to face him, and placed the incredible engagement ring on her finger.

"I love you," he said simply.

"I love you too."

Simon offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

"We shall," she said, linking her arm through his and letting him take her out of their room and into the castle.

They wandered slowly down the hall. Mariah looked at the furnishings and construction of the ancient structure. "It's amazing. And we're going to live here?"

"Yes, but our main residence can be wherever you like as long as we're in our pack's territory. You haven't seen the mews house; you might like it there. But I hear Agatha Christie's place may be back on the market. I looked at it once before. It's larger than the one we have now and that odd little addition she put at the top of it would probably be an excellent studio unless it's too small." He stopped speaking as she smiled at him, his brow lifting in question.

"I just love the way you already refer to everything that once belonged to you as ours."

Simon leaned down and kissed her. "Because it is ours. That whole ‘with all my worldly goods I thee endow' thing."

"Does that mean I have to share my Harley?"

"Go ahead, baby, share the Harley. He has a boatload of money, he'll probably buy you more anyway," said Roz Halsey from the bottom of the stairs.

"Mother!" Mariah cried, vaulting down the stairs and into her mother's arms.

"You're happy?" she asked. Mariah nodded and ran to greet her father who was entering the castle. "Then we probably won't need this."

She watched as her mother withdrew a small, antique silver derringer that Mariah knew had been specially designed to fire silver bullets from the pocket of her motorcycle jacket. Her father rolled his eyes and winced as he had a noticeable bruise around his left eye.

"No, Mom, we won't need the gun, and did you have to deck him?" Mariah returned to her mother and took possession of the derringer.

"What can I say? He doesn't get to let some Brit kidnap my daughter and force her into a pair bonding and skate away clean." Roz shrugged her shoulders.

Oliver walked up to Simon and shook his hand. "Don't say I didn't warn you. And this is the behavior I get, almost thirty years and three children later."

"If we can be half as happy as you and your mate, I will be content," said Simon.

"So, we're not going to open fire and make a getaway, guns blazing?" said Skylar, who had walked in brandishing her SIG. "Damn. I was looking forward to that."

Cameron Nichols shook his head as he passed his son and daughter-in-law. "I warned you about marrying that hooligan," he said to his son.

"Ah yes, but if he hadn't married the hooligan, who would make you pecan praline muffins?" Skylar teased him, as she put away her gun.

Bryson came up behind Simon. "Sir?" he began, but then turned to Mariah and smiled. "Mistress, you look exceptionally beautiful this morning. Mrs. Bryson designed brunch for today but would love to meet with you about your preferences."

"I look forward not only to meeting with your lovely wife but working with her. Simon says she takes wonderful care of our pack. From what I can tell, she does an amazing job," Mariah said, preceding all of them into the dining hall that looked to be the size of a football field. She grinned, it was a boisterous group thoroughly enjoying the lavish brunch Mrs. Bryson had made.

Hopping up onto a vacant chair, Mariah put her fingers into her mouth and gave a loud whistle. "Good morning, everybody! I'm Mariah, the crazy artist your new alpha decided he couldn't live without. Thank God."

She waited for the room to settle before continuing. "Fair warning, the first person who calls me Mistress gets punched." She turned to look at Bryson. "Okay, maybe Bryson can call me that. It sounds so posh when he does it." There was general laughter as the pack got its first good look at their new mistress. "Now that we've settled that, let's get this thing started. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm starved."

Simon lifted Mariah off the chair, sliding her down his body and stopping to kiss her before leading Mariah, her parents, and their friends to their table.

"Mrs. Halsey," he said, walking over to greet the Mistress of the Hamptons' Pack.

"Rozalyn," her father growled low. His wife stared at him, not saying a word. "I would urge a little caution with my mate. I'm not sure she's entirely forgiven either of us, and until she does, she can be a rather formidable opponent, can't you sweetheart?"

Mariah laughed. "When dad calls her Rozalyn, it means she's in trouble."

The group sat down to breakfast and enjoyed eggs prepared multiple ways, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles, toast, various potato dishes, and a variety of other meats and pastries. It was fun to watch Travis eat. He tasted everything slowly and methodically and then came back to his favorites.

"Simon, this is the best bread and butter pudding I've ever had," said the Michelin-starred chef.

"I agree," said Riley Nichols. "They've substituted dried cranberries for raisins."

"I imagine that's a recent change. I can't stand raisins," said Simon. "After breakfast, I'd like us all to meet in the study so that we can get everyone on the same page with the situation."

"Babe, aren't we going to exchange vows?"

"That's entirely up to you, love. I mean yes, we will most definitely exchange vows, but we will also do it at our actual bonding ceremony. We need to plan that, now that you've admitted you love me and know I'm your fated mate. But I can be patient."

Skylar snorted. "Don't you love how once they get all the important stuff the way they want it, they're willing to be flexible about the small stuff?"

"Don't pick on Simon. He's absolutely perfect," said Mariah.

Roz, Skylar, Riley, Kat, and Abriana looked at one another, grinned, and said in unison, "Knotted."