Chapter 17

Larkin

I'd never seen so many massive males, ones who were double… triple my size. But I was surrounded by them now.

They seemed to keep coming, pouring out of massive, dark SUVs, their bodies clad in black, their expressions frightening.

There were so many Lycan males swarming over Odhran's estate and outside on the property that it was overwhelming, so much so that I'd made myself scarce, and now found myself in the library running my fingers over the spines of the tattered and aged books.

I could hear the deep rumble of voices pouring through the walls, the words indescribable as they spoke Gaelic.

The plans for today were to go to my parents' property. Whereas I thought we'd just be able to head out, after discussing it with Odhran, I didn't want to just go on another journey without having plans in motion.

And although I knew Odhran would have followed me anywhere, done anything I'd asked, I did see the relief on his face that we'd make plans first. And I knew it was because he was worried about keeping me safe.

Although the Assembly wouldn't be taken fully out for quite some time, after what Odhran had said, and overhearing him on the telephone with his king about all the things that had been set in motion to finally end that awful organization.

And I felt confident that it could actually happen. These men were fearsome and had their rage on their side backing them.

Species of the Otherworld were organizing and banding together; they were working as one unit to take out a common threat. I wasn't old enough to know if this had ever been done before, but I was glad to see things were moving in that direction.

I randomly picked a book in English and walked over to the oversized, distressed leather chair that was positioned by the large window in the corner.

For a long time, I just rested my head on the chair and stared out the window. The sun was bright, the Highlands a glorious sight with the rolling green hills and the dots of fluff from the sheep I could see in the distance.

The woods were thick on three sides of the property, and I stared into the forest, the darkness stretching out the deeper it went back. A flock of birds got startled and flew overhead in a dark swarm, and I watched them swoop and turn in unison before flying off, the sound of their chirping fading.

The longer I sat there, the more I just took in the sights outside. It had been so long since I'd seen such open, natural beauty. And it was incredible.

I must've fallen asleep because I felt a light touch across my cheek, rousing me. I blinked my eyes open and stared out the window at the horizon that was painted orange and red pinks. The sun was setting, the dusky glow painting the grounds of Odhran's estate as if an artist had rendered the image.

I turned my head and looked at my mate, who was crouched beside me, his blond hair ruffled and hanging over his forehead as if he'd been running his fingers through it from stress.

"I didn't realize I slept so long," I said with a sleepy voice. He didn't respond, just kept staring at me so intently it was as if he saw every single part of me that I tried to hide.

Finally, he gave me a small smile as he stroked my cheek again. "I was having the most incredible dream," I said, and thought back to right before I woke up.

He leanedin and brushed his lips against mine, the touch soft, tentative. But I was tired of being careful. I wanted him. I wanted to taste his flavor on my tongue, down the back of my throat. I want to feel him inside of me, his hands on my body, his lips at my throat. And I knew he could sense that, could smell my need for him; the arousal that was slick between my thighs would make it easy for him to work himself inside of me.

I feltmyself flush as the memory of that erotic dream jumped to the forefront of my mind. I lifted my hand and placed it over his, which still rested on my cheek. I gently scraped my nails along the backs of his fingers, and his nostrils flared, his pupils dilating. I slowly licked my lips, and in that moment I felt nothing but the hazy cloud of sleep and arousal still clinging to me.

And the longer I stared at him, the more I wanted him, the more I wanted to stay in this moment and see how much it could grow.

"Did they all leave?" I breathed out those words, hoping he knew I meant all the Lycans that had shown up earlier today… hoping he knew why I was asking.

"Aye." That one word was a husky growl from him. "I sent the staff home too. They'd prepared dinner but we are alone."

Alone.

That thought, coupled with my desire from the dream, had me so wet between my legs that I clenched them together, and felt tingles race to the tips of my toes all the way to the top of my head.

"I have something for ye." He stayed crouched on his haunches before me as he reached behind his neck. A second later, he was pulling his arm back around and holding out something in his hand, a gold chain hanging loosely over his fingers.

I was confused for just a second before he opened his hand, and I was staring at something I never thought I'd see again. Sitting delicately in the center of his big palm was the smallest piece of silver that had my heart lurching in my chest.

I lifted a hand to cover my mouth, so many emotions filling me. Was that actually… Could that really be…

"My necklace." I lifted my focus to his face and saw he was intently watching me, his expression guarded. "How?" My hand slid down to curl gently around my throat as a memory of the last time I wore it played through my mind.

"After I'd woken up… after ye'd been taken…" He cleared his throat and looked down at the floor for a second as if he wanted to compose himself before continuing. "I saw it on the ground." He looked into my eyes once more. "I picked it up and I've worn it ever since, telling myself I'd give it back to ye when ye were in my arms once more." His jaw clenched as he looked back at me. "Then that bastard, the one called D, stole it from me after I was captured." His nostrils flared and his anger saturated the air around him. "So I took it back right before tearing out his throat after we escaped."

A soft, strangled sound left me at his words. He'd been wearing my anchor necklace this whole time.

"I would've given it tae ye right away, but with making sure ye were healed, then everything happening after, I didn't want tae overwhelm ye." He took each end of the necklace and held it up to me. I lifted the hair off my neck and shifted on the chair so he could clasp it around my throat.

His fingers gently brushed my nape, and once the necklace was secured, I looked down at the tiny anchor, the sun catching the curve of it. Tears flowed down my cheeks, and I was shocked that something so small and materialistic could mean so much.

I looked back at Odhran and smiled, knowing it was watery; not even caring that I could've started sobbing, I just broke right down in that moment. "You have no idea how much this means to me." When I glanced back up at him, there was this gentle expression on his face. "I'm glad you waited to give it to me. I don't think I would've been in the right mind frame earlier."

He leaned in and kissed me, and I closed my eyes, just absorbing the wonderful feeling that consumed me.

"I know what the necklace meant tae me, so I can only imagine how special it is tae ye."

I nodded but was too choked up to speak.

He sat back but still stayed close enough that I could smell the wild, spicy scent that always clung to him. He smelled faintly of the outside, of the forest and fresh air and lingering sunshine.

And the longer we looked at each other, the more my body started to heat all over again. I cupped each side of his scruff-covered cheeks, staring into his blue eyes. "It means the world to me. You mean everything to me." Now it was his turn to have his breath catching.

We didn't say anything for so long, both of us just watching each other, the heat in the room growing until I felt beads of perspiration dotting my temples and in between my breasts.

I expected that crushing weight of fear and uncertainty to claim me, but with each passing second all I felt was my growing need for my mate. And if I felt this kind of intensity, I could only imagine what a virile, powerful Lycan male was experiencing being close to his mate.

"Touch me, Odhran." My voice was breathy, those three words barely audible. And I saw how they affected him. His body visibly tensed, his eyes became hooded, his mouth slightly clenched, and his canines elongated.

I grew even wetter.

He reached out and took hold of the end of my hair. I hadn't taken out the braid he'd put in last night, and for a second, he just rubbed the strands between his fingers.

Touch me.

He started undoing my braid, and I felt my breathing increase. God, why is it so hot?

When my hair was loose, he started sifting his fingers through the dark waves before bringing up the heavy fall to his face. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, this very sexy, clearly aroused rumble leaving him.

My inner muscles clenched, and I tightened my thighs on impulse. I'd never felt so intensely that all rational thought left me.

I was very aware of my breathing having changed, my chest rising and falling faster and harder. I was also aware that his was, as well. He was so close now, inching his way toward me, only a fraction of space separating his lips from mine.

I could practically taste him on my tongue, the memory of how good his flavor was, how warm and soft his tongue was as it moved against mine, replaying in my head over and over again until a soft, very needy moan left me.

"My sweet girl," he groaned. And then he said something gruff in Gaelic and it lit my body on fire.

He could've read me a shopping list in his native tongue and I was pretty sure I would've gone over the edge with pleasure from that alone.

"I donna want tae move too fast." His eyes were open now but he still held my hair by his face, intermittently taking deep drags of the scent.

His pupils were so dilated now, the black almost ate up all of the blue, his eyes hooded, his very male scent filling my head and making me feel as if I had drunk too much.

"It's not too fast right now." I didn't know what I was consenting to. A little? A lot? Everything?

He slid his hands down my arms, his fingers barely brushing the bare skin. I felt so dizzy despite the fact I was sitting down, my body feeling foreign, as if it weren't my own, as if I had no control over anything, but in the best of ways.

But this was a kind of wild recklessness. The kind that didn't make me question if there was fear or pain. Because I knew there wouldn't be. I knew Odhran would only make me feel good, make this feel right.

"Kiss me." I breathed those two words, and he groaned once more before he captured my mouth with his. He placed his hand on my cheek and slowly moved up to cup the back of my head. I tangled my hand in his hair and pulled him closer.

The feel of his tongue stroking over my lips, gently probing the seam as if asking permission, had me instantly opening for him. I met his tongue with mine, moved it against his, feeling my entire body ignite in the most consuming way. We kissed each other harder.

We kissed for so long that time had no meaning, everything else fading away so all I felt, smelled, heard was my mate.

His lips on mine.

His taste in my mouth.

His touch on my skin.

His groans in my ears.

I didn't know how long we'd been kissing but I found myself at the edge of the seat, my legs spread and Odhran nestled between them. He had one hand still buried at the back of my head, his fingers tangled in my hair, his other one curled around my waist, his touch light.

I knew he was afraid of going further. I knew he was holding back. And although I appreciated it, right now there was a wild fire inside of me that only he could control.

"I want more," I found myself whispering against his mouth, and broke away to pant. My face felt warm and I knew my cheeks were red, blood rushing under the skin as my arousal rose.

He didn't speak but I felt his hand on my hip tighten, felt him push the edge of my shirt up slightly, his thumb brushing along the bare skin exposed. For a second, I was self-conscious and tried to rise, but as if he sensed it, he leaned in and kissed me passionately, deeply, really pushing his tongue into my mouth and controlling the situation.

I liked that because it took away the control I would have needed to show my pleasure, to go for what I wanted most… how far I wanted to go.

And I didn't know how far I wanted to go, but I wanted to take this where it would go and stop naturally.

When I didn't stop him from touching my bare flesh, he pushed my shirt up more and leaned his upper body against mine so I was forced to recline back on the chair, his huge chest covering me and blocking out everything else.

His touches and kisses were soft at first, but when I curled my hands around his shoulders, dug my nails into his flesh, he grunted and started kissing me harder, faster, his passion rising, his masculine scent surrounding me.

When he broke the kiss, I whimpered, barely able to keep my eyes open, my breasts feeling heavy and full, my nipples tight and pressing against the thin material of my shirt. I wanted his body pressed to mine once more, wanted his lips on mine, his hands touching more of my body.

I never wanted this high to end.

"The look on yer face," he murmured, and kissed me once more, long and slow, sucking on my tongue for a second before pulling back again.

He looked down at where his hand was on my waist, and I followed his line of vision to see my shirt was now pushed fully up my body and rested right below my breasts. I felt a flush move through me as the light from the setting sun showed off all the scars that littered my belly, the raised white lines that dissected my flesh in startling clarity. Before I could push my shirt down, Odhran was leaning in and brushing his lips along those marks.

He kissed every single scar on my belly, whispered how beautiful I was, how perfect and special I was. Gaelic followed in deep, gruff words that had me relaxing against the chair once more so he could explore me with his mouth.

I moaned softly when he dragged his tongue around my belly button before gently dipping it inside, eliciting another needy sound from me.

He lifted just his eyes so he was staring at me, letting me watch as he continued to drag his tongue around my navel once more before going lower. Never breaking eye contact, he had his fingers at the waistband of my leggings, pausing. He was silently asking for my consent.

I licked my lips and nodded, not sure what I was doing, but knowing I didn't want to stop.

Odhran made me feel so special, so beautiful. He didn't see me as his mate that was scarred. He just saw me as his.

"Is this okay?" He murmured the question while he slowly pulled my pants down, still watching me, his movements slow.

I nodded again and lifted my body half up so he could pull my panties and leggings over my hips and down my thighs. I curled my fingers against the armrests of the chair, my nails digging into the buttery soft leather.

Once I was bare from the waist down, Odhran stared at me for long seconds.

"So gorgeous." He looked down at my waist then back into my eyes. "I want tae really look at ye, lass."

I knew what he was asking. The fact he wanted my consent for everything eased me even more, had any anxiety fading and only need filling me.

He was making these deep, wolf-like growls, and couldn't close his mouth fully as his canines pressed to his lower lip. And then he was looking down between my thighs, my legs spread wide enough to accommodate his body fitted between them. The air seemed chillier now that his entire focus was trained on the most intimate part of me.

He spoke something deep and low and unintelligible, then lifted his hand and ran it over his mouth, his gaze never leaving that part of me.

"Foirf." That lone word was a rumbled, muffled sound behind his hand. He slowly lowered his palm to drag his tongue over his lips. "Yer're so pretty here." He lifted his gaze and stared into my eyes as he slipped one hand down my inner thigh to stop right where my leg and pussy met. "Tha mo ghion ort."

"I don't know what you're saying, but don't stop," I gasped. "Even if you're telling me the weather… don't stop." The feel of his hands on my thighs had a little sound of awareness leaving me. He slowly ran his palms up and down my legs as he stared between my thighs once more.

"Will ye let me taste ye, Larkin?"

I bit my lip and felt my eyes widen. He wanted his mouth… down there?

"I bet ye're so sweet, so silky and soft. I can already taste yer flavor on my tongue, darlin'." He moved in a little closer and I felt how hard he was, his erection thick and long and tenting his jeans.

I looked down and stared at that huge, male part of him. His length was so long I swore it would never fit, so girthy my fingers would never touch if I wrapped them around him.

I'd never be able to take all of him inside of me.

"Let me taste ye, my wee female."

I snapped my gaze back to his face and found myself nodding before I knew what I was doing.

He groaned and looked between my legs again. "Look at how wet my mate gets at the thought of my mouth on her." He sounded like he spoke to himself. He shifted lower so I could feel his warm breath. "Ask me, Larkin," he pleaded. "Ask me tae taste ye so I know ye're right here with me, lass."

I closed my eyes and licked my lips, and when I opened them again the words were spilling from me. "I want your mouth on me. I want you to be the first—the only—male to ever taste me."

His entire body froze for a suspended second before an inhuman sound left him and his eyes flashed blue. I felt myself get wetter knowing that his wolf was right here, would experience this moment too. He was part of Odhran. He was Odhran.

Both of them were my mate.

And then he was moving closer and inhaling deeply as his lips were right by my pussy. I couldn't move for long seconds as the strange, unusual sensations of having a mouth down there filled me.

But he didn't rush me, didn't devour me. He was slow, meticulous even as he slid his hands along my inner thighs and framed that very feminine part of me. And when I felt that first touch of his tongue along my clit, I let my head fall all the way back and rest on the leather as my eyes slid shut. Any strangeness vanished as pleasure took its place.

Any discomfort about how I looked dissipated when he flattened his tongue and dragged it from my opening up to my clit.

And when he sucked on that tiny bundle of nerves, growled against it so the vibrations speared through me and had my inner muscles clenching, I found my hands in his hair as I held on.

I was shamelessly moaning as he licked and sucked at me, not hard or forcefully, just an easy introduction to what this was, how intimate a moment we shared. Without missing a beat, he lifted one of my legs and wrapped it over the arm of the chair, then did the same to the other.

I was so spread now, my legs open and stretched, his mouth never leaving my pussy. He was growling, his grunt and groans low as he teased my opening with the tip of his tongue before sliding it back and sucking my clit into his mouth.

"My Larkin… ye're so soft. Like a peach. But sweeter." He went back to sucking and licking at me, and I felt something building inside of me, something strong and monumental that kept rising to the surface. I knew it would spill over, explode, just erupt from me and take any kind of sanity that I still clung to.

As if he knew I was close to that precipice of… something, he looked into my eyes and renewed his efforts, sucking harder, licking more thoroughly. His hands were on my inner thighs, keeping them spread even though I was already as wide as I could go, the muscles of my inner thighs protesting from being this open.

"Keep looking at me," he growled in a distorted voice, his eyes glowing blue from his inner animal. I could barely keep my eyes open as the pleasure kept increasing.

He sucked on my clit hard, slid his hands down to frame my pussy once more, then hooked his thumbs on either side of my lips and pulled them apart.

My mouth opened on a soundless cry as I watched him suck on that bundle of nerves, listened to the wet, sloppy sounds of him devouring me between my thighs.

My eyes started to close on their own.

"Watch me, lass. Look intae my face as I make ye come."

I visibly shivered at his deep command, unable to deny myself or him. Unable to disobey him. And then those vibrations from his voice, and the hard sucking of his mouth on my clit, had me exploding.

The feelings were so profound they didn't seem real, as if I were trapped in a dream I never wanted to wake from.

I could hear these animalistic sounds leaving him, the vibrations of his voice making the pleasure endless. Somehow I found my hands back in his hair, tugging at the strands, keeping his face between my thighs. He seemed so tense, his body visibly shaking, his voice a hoarse shout against my soft folds.

And then when I was too sated to hold my limbs up any longer, I let my arms fall to my sides, let my legs relax, and rested my head back on the chair as I closed my eyes and just breathed in and out harshly.

For long moments, neither one of us moved or said anything, but then I felt the lightest brush of his lips on my inner thigh, then another kiss, and another. He peppered me with them, his warm breath a balm to my over-sensitized flesh. And when I sighed in contentment, he rested his forehead against my inner leg and just panted.

I stroked my fingers through his short, but thick dark-blond hair, gently skimming my nails over his scalp and seeing his big body tremble. He lifted his head and looked at me, this hooded expression in his eyes, and I felt so dizzy with this post-euphoric haze, that all I could manage was a small smile.

"Mine," he growled in that distorted voice, the blue of his eyes glowing brighter. He dragged his tongue along his bottom lip then his top one, humming in pleasure. "Never have I tasted anything as sweet as my mate's orgasm."

He was rising up and cupping my jaw as he leaned and slanted his mouth on mine, making me taste my climax on his lips and tongue. He kissed me for a long moment before straightening. My gaze, now immediately eye level with his groin, took in his semi-hard erection and the wet spot on the front of his jeans.

Heat and pleasure washed through me again. He orgasmed while giving me one.

"Ye see what ye do tae me, lass?"

I looked up but didn't respond. I could see very, very well the effect I had on him. And it gave me a sense of power and strength I didn't know I could feel. I could give this male—so strong and big and powerful—pleasure by just touching his hair… with him bringing me pleasure.

He held out his hand and helped me to stand, helped me adjust my clothing, then kissed me softly, almost reluctantly before pulling me in close and leading me out of the room and down the hall to the dining room, where dinner waited.

I glanced up at his face, at his strong jaw and perfectly male features, and felt a genuine smile move across my face.

He'd stripped me bare, made me feel raw in every possible way. And for the first time in far longer than I could remember, I felt no thoughts of my past trying to ruin this moment. I felt nothing but hope.

It was enough to have me choke up with emotion.

Maybe things would be okay? Maybe we could have our happily ever after?