Chapter 9

"Holy shit, man," Wiley repeats himself, his wide eyes indicative of every reaction I'll get from my pack back home, my pack here, and the MC.

I lean against the wall with my arms crossed over my chest and my eyes on Dinah as she does something akin to praying over Jimmy. "Yeah."

"A human?"

"It happens sometimes."

"I've heard of it, but I've never met a shifter mated to a human. How are you handling it?"

I shake my head. "There's nothing to handle. She's mine, I'm hers, but I need to figure out how to tell her about me and convince her to accept my mating mark before my bear does something unforgivable."

"Is he testing you?"

"Non-stop."

"Damn." He glances over his shoulder at my mate. "She seems nice."

"She is, but she's been abused her whole life. Both of them have. The situation requires patience?—"

"Of which you have none," Wiley interrupts.

Grumbling, I curl my lip, my bear grouchy considering everything going on. "Right."

"Whatever I can do to help." He puts his hands up and takes a step back.

"You're doing more than enough by taking care of Jimmy." I clock the scruff on his cheeks. "Why don't you take off for a bit? I doubt we're going anywhere for a while."

"I wouldn't mind grabbing a shower and something to eat. Give me an hour. Are you staying in Great Falls tonight?"

"Tonight and until we move Jimmy north. I think it will help settle her, and maybe give her some peace." And maybe make her more accepting of her future with me—if she deems me worthy of saving because that's honestly what is at stake here.

She either chooses me and accepts my mark, or condemns me to death.

"You can have my apartment tonight. I've been catching cat naps in the bed across from him, anyway."

"Where's Sly?"

"Probably with Nan at the clinic."

Dinah lifts her head, her brown eyes coming straight to me. My bear hums with pleasure at her need to connect with us.

"Take off, man. We'll see you later," I say with my eyes glued to her. Walking over to her, I crouch next to her chair. "Can I get you anything?"

"No." She smiles and places her hand on my cheek.

"Okay. Well, I'm going to sit in that recliner and turn on the TV for some distraction." I point to a chair between the two beds directly across from the door that Wiley closed on his way out. "You're welcome to join me whenever you want."

No sooner am I settled in the recliner with the footrest up than Dinah crawls onto my lap, settling her head against my shoulder. I wrap my arms around her, basking in her scent, content for the moment to hold her.

"Can I ask you a question?" I whisper, my mind spinning with ways to meld our worlds together—giving me what I need while providing her with everything she'll ever want, to include freedom.

"Anything," she murmurs, her lips grazing my jaw.

"What was the plan? I mean, did Jimmy really want to be a ranch hand? Did you want to pretend to be his doting wife?"

She sighs, her breath tickling my neck, and that's all it takes for my bear to secrete more pheromones, inviting her to react to me like only my mate ever will. "No. We thought we would do that until we saved enough money. Then we'd move somewhere where we could get jobs. Neither of us can go to school because we don't have formal high school educations, but Jimmy is smart and skilled. He can build a house and fix cars. I can do all kinds of things, too."

"What would you do, if you could have any job in the world?"

Dinah giggles, her hand sliding down my chest to rest low on my abdomen. "You're going to laugh."

"I won't." Lifting her chin, I place another kiss against her lips. "Promise."

Her eyes sparkle as she smiles back at me. "I want to work in a library or a bookshop. Can you imagine being surrounded by books and allowed to read whatever you want whenever you want?"

"You weren't allowed to read?"

"No. Nothing besides scripture as written or approved by the elders." Dinah looks away. "The scars you asked about earlier? They gave them to me after they found a stash of novels under the floorboards in my room. I'd pick them at bus stops or giveaway boxes outside people's houses. I loved those books and must have read each one a dozen times over the years."

White fiery rage causes my bear to shake as all I can think about is going down to that commune and burning it to the ground. Beaten and scarred for reading books? It's inconceivable.

"There's a gift shop downstairs. I'll buy you every book they have."

"Even the romances?" She blushes.

"Especially the romances." I kiss her again, this time my mouth lingering against hers. Dinah parts her lips and that's all the invitation I need. My tongue delves in to taste and devour her, and it doesn't take long before she's squirming on my lap. I help her straddle my waist, her warm pussy pressing against my hard cock painfully confined by my jeans.

Glancing at Jimmy who is fast asleep, I slide my hands up her thighs and under her skirt, my thumbs tracing along the lacy red panties. "You want to come again?"

"Yes," she pants.

"Spread your legs wider, Honeysuckle. Let me play with your pussy."

I push the panties aside and find her clit plump and ready. Rubbing small circles with one hand, I slide my other up the front of her dress, palming her breast and flicking her pert nipple with my thumb while swallowing her moans of pleasure with every kiss. Her responsiveness to my touch and my scent is everything, my need to claim her maddening to both me and my bear.

Sliding one finger inside of her, I push past her virginity and build her orgasm by stroking her g-spot and rubbing my thumb over her clit, all while lost in her sweet kisses. She gasps, her fingers digging into my shoulders upon penetration but relaxing as her pleasure builds and her pussy clenches around my finger. Her body is unbelievably tight, every muscle tensing for the coming climax, her moans growing louder as she inches closer.

Right before she comes, I slip another finger inside of her, stretching her for things I hope to come sooner rather than later. She throws her head back to cry out, and I slap my palm over her mouth to stifle the sounds echoing off the sterile walls. Burying my face between her breasts, I tongue and bite each nipple through the fabric of her dress and bra, my hand shoved between her legs, fingers in her pussy, as her cunt milks me for seed I'm desperate to give her. This isn't only a biological need to have cubs with my fated mate, this is an undying desire to pleasure the woman I love. Dinah is perfect—someone I would want to care for, watch over and protect, regardless of the Fates.

But the need to claim her makes everything much more dire. Each touch, each conversation, each shared dream, each met desire is building our forever—one I will die without.

She slumps forward, her face nestled in my neck. Pulling my hand from between her legs, I'm relieved to see very little blood mixed with her arousal. The last thing I want to do is hurt my mate, although I'm sure there will be discomfort the first time I slide inside her—that is, unless I'm leaving my mark at the same time, which will hurt in a different way. The moment my teeth pierce her skin will sting, but the serum coating my fangs with my mating mark will infuse every nerve ending with undulating pleasure.

A total body orgasm for both of us.

"How was that?" I ask while licking her essence off my fingers.

Her eyes are dark and wild as she cups and kneads me through my jeans. "I like it very much. When can we do more?"

"Tonight. When we have privacy." I still her roving hand, even though every instinct I have wants me to unzip and pull my cock free.

"Then you'll show me all the things?"

"Everything you want and more."

Dinah lays her head against my shoulder again, her eyes on Jimmy. "I hope he finds someone who will teach him all the things someday."

"I'm sure he will." My brow furrows as a thought occurs to me. "What if what he wants and what you want are in two different places? Have you discussed going your separate ways?"

"Not exactly. We talked about our dreams which include having families of our own someday. He'll be Uncle Jimmy and I'll be Aunt Dinah to whomever comes along."

"Does that mean you want kids?"

She smiles. "Someday, but on my terms. When I have kids, they will be mine. They'll know I am their mother because I'll shower them with love and affection every day."

"And the father of your future kids? What does he look like?"

Dinah snuggles into my neck and sighs. "He'll be protective and loving, patient and nurturing. He'll never raise a hand out of anger, never say no without asking why, and put them above everything else to include himself. I guess he'll be a lot like you."

I think about the blind rage that takes over my bear from time to time, although I have to believe I would never lose control with Dinah or our cubs. Would she find my protective side to be a turnoff? A reason to not accept my mating mark or bear my children? I keep saying I'll protect her, but she doesn't know the truth about what I've done to destroy those who hoped to hurt her. Am I capable of more violence than she can stomach given her past?

Not that I can turn it off. My bear will meet any threat against her with ultra-violence. I will decimate anyone who tries to hurt her until I draw my last breath.

"Or he could be me," I whisper.

She laughs like I made a joke. "I'm not ready to be a mother today."

I pull back to look her in the eye. "I'm not ready to share you with kids today, Dinah, but I want to be the man in your dream and build a jungle gym in the backyard with Uncle Jimmy for our kids to climb all over."