Chapter Eight

J aryn set the French-press carafe back on the counter. He held the steaming mug up to his nose and inhaled the rich aroma from the fresh grounds. He took his first sip of the day, and like a true coffee addict, moaned as the flavor of beans and oils rolled across his tongue.

So he likes coffee in the mornings. That's good because if anyone tried to take mine away, we'd have a very messy situation on our hands.

"Not to worry, love. I'm a slave to a good cup first thing in the morning. I made enough for you, so come sit and relax with me."

Nicole gasped. "How on earth? I just heard you in my head! Did… did you read my mind?"

Jaryn chuckled. He took down another mug, then carried it and the carafe over to the kitchen table. He sat down, then patted his lap. "Remember those changes we talked about that would happen after our mating? Well, a telepathic link is one of them. Now, come here, little mate, and let me greet you properly."

Has there ever been such beauty as my mate in the morning sunlight? She'd better be careful or I'm going to rip my shirt from her tantalizing little body and ravish her right here on the kitchen table.

Nicole stopped walking and stared at Jaryn. Then a bright smile bloomed across her face. "Would that be so bad?"

"Not in my opinion, no."

Nicole quickly closed the distance between them. Jaryn opened his arms and Nicole settled onto his lap with ease. He tilted her head up, his hand cradling her jaw. The corner of his mouth twitched as he took a slow, deep breath. His thumb stroked Nicole's full lower lip. "It seems as though your body thinks that'd be a pretty good idea, too. Your morning scent is driving me crazy. Flush and sweet with sleep."

Jaryn dipped his head and kissed his mate. Her lips clung to him, and when his tongue met hers, Nicole's flavor rushed through him. Jaryn groaned and tightened his arms around his mate. She moved her warm lips against his, their heads instinctively angling to achieve the greatest penetration.

Nicole's kiss set Jaryn on fire. The seductive weight of her soft body against him, the scent of her arousal more addictive than his cup of morning coffee. His tongue thrust and parried with hers, searching out every corner, every crevice that hid Nicole's flavor from him. His gums ached with the need to mark her once again.

When Nicole's lips wrapped around his tongue and sucked, Jaryn's chest released a low moan. He couldn't help but imagine what it would feel like to have Nicole sucking on his cock, drawing his seed from his balls. Slow, deep pulls on his tongue had Jaryn crying out into his mate's mouth, and Nicole's body answered as a surge of wet heat from her pussy dampened the cotton of his lounging pants.

His hand reached beneath the edges of his shirt—which, in his opinion, looked far better on her than on him—and found Nicole bare and open to his touch. Humid warmth met his fingertips as he slid them between his mate's slick folds.

"You're so wet, dripping honeyed cream onto my fingers."

Nicole's swollen channel clung to his fingers, eager for his touch. He slowly fed one finger inside her, pushing through the exquisitely snug walls. Nicole's arms nearly choked him as she writhed in his arms. She arched her neck and cried out.

His cock throbbed in his pants. Drops of pre-cum spilled from the narrow slit, wetting the rounded head. His balls were so fucking full, demanding that Jaryn bury his dick deep inside Nicole so they could blast their offering deep into her womb. Being knotted inside her last night had been a reality-shattering experience. With each surge of his semen, Jaryn not only filled Nicole with his seed, but also the enzymes that would begin to shift her DNA to something more than the amazing woman he already held in his arms. The mating bite fed the same enzymes directly into her bloodstream. The laws of nature now stated that Nicole belonged to him irrevocably, and the mating heat that surged between them ensured that they would constantly seek each other out till their bond was cemented.

"You… you feel so… fucking amazing ," he gritted through his clenched teeth.

Jaryn buried his head into the curve of Nicole's neck, licking and scoring the skin with the canines that had dropped with his need to mark Nicole once again. Her wet channel sucked at his finger. The muscles contracted along the digit, refusing to let him go. He circled and rubbed against the inner walls, dragging out only to push deeper than before. Nicole whimpered, her eyes closed, her head buried against his neck. Little panting breaths bathed his skin, and in that moment, Jaryn wanted nothing more than to feel her bite on his skin. Her claiming mark, a signal to the world that he belonged to his mate as much as she belonged to him.

Jaryn thrust two fingers high inside Nicole's channel, using the digits to separate the tight muscles so she could accept his cock with ease. His wolf howled deep inside, demanding that they once again claim their mate. Jaryn's body deemed the prospect a good idea and, if the moans and gasps coming from Nicole were any sign, his mate's body as well. He stood and lifted Nicole onto the table.

The carafe and mugs teetered and clinked, causing Jaryn to curse. He picked up the items and set them over on the counter in a flash. When he came back to the table, the sight of Nicole's fingers buried between the lips of her pussy mesmerized Jaryn. The swollen lips were flushed red and open. The satiny skin glistened with the juices weeping from her core. One digit strummed her clit, and the two buried inside her cunt only heightened Jaryn's frenzy. He knew they could never fill her the way he could. Never reach as deep or touch that perfect spot in the same way. Jaryn's cock pulsed and his hand reached inside his pants to grasp the iron hard spike. The heat of his flesh seared his palm as he stroked his dick to relieve some of the ache.

"Are you going to stand there and stare all day, or are you going to fuck me?"

Jaryn shoved his pants down his legs, then stepped out of them. He stalked Nicole's succulent body. Her body lay like a sacrifice for his desire, ready for him to devour every inch. His hands grasped her hips, and he pulled her ass to the edge of the table.

"Put your legs up on my shoulders," he ordered.

The height of the table put Nicole's pussy in the perfect position. Jaryn gripped the base of his cock and tilted it down till the head rested against his mate's opening. His hips surged forwards and his cock sliced through the wet walls of Nicole's cunt. God help him, he'd never experienced sex such as this. Nicole's silken walls parted around his thick flesh, welcoming him into her heated depths. He filled her with every inch, their mouths open and panting against each other. His heavy body leaned over her, pinning her to the table as he lunged inside her over and over.

"Take me, love. Take everything I am, every part of me."

"I do. I accept you, the man I love, and your wolf, the mate of my soul."

Jaryn roared as Nicole's acceptance filled his head. His cock slammed into her so hard, the table screeched across the hardwood floor. A startled cry came from Nicole's throat and Jaryn looked down, worried that he was being too rough, but found a sultry smile cross his mate's lips. Her forest green eyes were full of hunger and once again he saw an otherworldly glow in their depths. He grasped the hem of the T-shirt she wore and tore it in two up the middle.

"You're… you're going to need a whole new wardrobe at this rate," she teased.

"I don't care. It's worth it."

He quickly lowered his head, pulling one breast into his mouth. His tongue wrapped around the stiff tip of her nipple, and he suckled at the mound as if he could draw his mate's flavor deep within his body. Nicole's fingers speared through the hair on the back of his head, clutching at the strands as she held him to her chest. Carnal screams of pleasure ripped from her throat as he devoured her breast while his cock hammered into her. The animal within was now completely in control of their mating. He latched onto the other nipple, and a moan escaped his chest as Nicole's silky flesh tightened around his cock, drenching him in scorching liquid. Nicole's nails dug into the flesh of his biceps. Her pussy squeezed down, milking his pounding cock, and her scream of pleasure rent the air.

He lifted away from her, his wolf's vision kicking in as he looked down at where their bodies joined. The veins of his cock bulged as it speared into his mate's petite body. Her juices drenched them both, and the air filled with the scent of arousal and sounds of slick, slapping flesh.

As he thrust into the deepest part of her channel, the opening of Nicole's pussy stretched around his flesh. Her body melted around him and he knew it was preparing to accept his knot.

"Nicole," he growled, jagged and low.

Her hands petted him as her orgasm held her enthralled in its grasp. His vision went Technicolor as a beam of morning sunlight shone through the French doors leading to his patio and landed on the graceful arch of her neck. Her burgundy hair was a halo of fire spread out on his kitchen table. Jaryn watched her pulse beat furiously beneath the skin of her throat. His gums burned and his canines dropped.

"I'm going to come. I'm going to fill you so fucking full. You remember how it felt to have me locked inside you last night? You remember the waves of pleasure that continued to crash over you as I spilled deep into your womb, again and again?"

Nicole whimpered.

He wrapped her legs around his waist as he covered her body. His hips surged inside, his cock thickened and with a howl that shook the rafters of his home, Jaryn rammed into her harder and deeper. He licked her neck and the tender spot of his mating mark. His tongue lapped up the sweat that glistened over her skin. Her taste set his wolf howling and his blood boiling, destroying what remained of his control. He bit, sinking the sharp points of his teeth into her.

The nectar-like taste of her flowed over his tongue, and he closed his eyes to savor the bliss. Her scream of pleasure sent his excitement spiraling to the stratosphere, and when the walls of her pussy spasmed around him, he growled against her skin and sucked harder.

Cum boiled in his tight sac. Thunderbolts streaked through him, following the pathway of nerve endings threaded throughout his body, and his heart pounded against his rib cage. The base of his cock widened, knotting him inside his mate. Cum exploded from his dick with the first violent wave of release as the head of his cock pulsated, causing the extra cervical stimulation unique to their species. The sweetest sound to Jaryn's ears were Nicole's gasps and moans as wave after wave of her orgasm washed over her. Jaryn couldn't wait for the time when a child created from their love would nestle within Nicole's womb.

Jaryn sat at his desk in his home office. The afternoon light shone through the wide windows, offering views of the mountains surrounding his home. After he and Nicole had sated both their carnal and physical appetites, they'd spent a couple of hours talking again about Adam's compound. Jaryn felt as though he finally had enough information to take to the council. He needed to talk with Shaun and Cooper before he did so, to get the most up-to-date information on the part of the investigation they'd been handling.

Jaryn opened his lower desk drawer and removed his E-sphere, personal computer. With a push to a couple of buttons, the stand opened. Jaryn placed the small round ball on the top of his desk. He powered up the device and adjusted the position of the laser keyboard that flashed on his desktop. The wall across from his desk came to life as the mini projector on top of the E-sphere showed the start-up screen. He logged into the world network and checked his mail, paid a few bills, then finally brought up his communication program.

A few taps on the keyboard and Jaryn opened a link to Shaun's home. He waited for his Beta to accept the signal, which took all of about two seconds. Shaun's image appeared on the wall as the video feed connected.

"Good afternoon, Alpha. You're looking… relaxed," Shaun said with a smirk.

"I am, thank you. How are things coming on your end of the investigation?"

"Wow, no pleasantries before we get down to business?"

"I'm sorry. How was your evening, Shaun? Mine? Fabulous. I claimed my mate several times and for the first time in my life, feel utterly complete. Now I'd like to get the business at hand completed as quickly as possible, so I can get back to Nicole and spend the day wallowing in sensual bliss. Better?"

"You lucky bastard," Shaun grumbled. "Fine. Here's what I've been able to discover about the wolf named Adam Broyles. Nothing."

Jaryn stood and leaned over the top of his desk. "What do you mean, nothing?"

"Just that. Adam Broyles doesn't exist. There's no record of anyone—human, wolf or any other paranormal being—by that name in any database."

"Have you tapped into the council's resources?"

"The ASC, the FBI, CIA, NSA, military, Interpol… I even contacted the COPs."

"What information were you hoping to gain that Cooper wasn't able to provide?"

"Not cops as in police, C-O-P as in Council of Praeternaturals."

Jaryn slumped back into his chair. "Well, shit. I thought we were finally getting somewhere."

His hands rubbed over the morning scruff he hadn't bothered to shave yet. Which of course immediately brought to mind the flush of beard burn he'd left on Nicole's pale skin earlier that morning. He smiled as a new idea of how to decorate his mate's skin popped into his head.

"And what may I ask is making you smile about this situation?"

Jaryn blinked a few times and refocused on the wall with Shaun's image. "Sorry. Mind wandered off track for a moment. Okay, so thanks to Nicole, we at least have the location and layout of the compound. Aside from other activities, we spent the morning going over as much detail about the individual players that she could provide. I suggest we contact the council with this information and organize a raid. If we're lucky, Adam or whoever he is will be there and I can rip his head off. If not, at least we can liberate those he's holding hostage."

"Sounds like a plan to me. When do you want to link up with the council?"

"There's something that I promised to help Nicole with today—"

Shaun started laughing, and Jaryn rolled his eyes. "Not that, you pervert. Well, not only that," he said, smiling. "Actually, she hasn't contacted any of her family since her escape. I promised to set up a secure link so she could do so."

Shaun sobered and nodded his head. "You let me know when you're ready. The council is on permanent standby with this situation, so we have free rein to contact them at any time."

Jaryn looked up and saw Nicole standing in the doorway of his office. He waved her over and patted his lap. His eyes were trained on her as she moved across the room. Her movements were both graceful and sensual. Each slight roll of her hips had Jaryn's hands itching to hold the curves in his palms once again. Nicole settled her slight weight in his lap and Jaryn couldn't help but bury his nose in the elegant column of her neck. He kissed along the tendon, and placed a small lick over his mating mark. Nicole's head fell back on his shoulder and she ground her bottom against his filling cock.

"Alpha? Do we need to finish our conversation later?"

Jaryn opened his eyes and looked Shaun's image. His Beta sat at his own desk with his arms folded, but there was a definite gleam of longing in his best friend's eyes.

"Sorry." He caressed Nicole's jeans-clad leg. "Say hello to Shaun, love."

The sweetest blush covered his mate's pale skin as she said hello. Jaryn continued to caress every inch of bare skin he could find while Nicole and Shaun chatted for a moment. He got an elbow to the gut for his efforts from his mate.

"Pay attention, Jaryn," she scolded.

"Sorry love, I was distracted by your silky skin. Now what is it you need?"

Jaryn looked up at the wall and saw Shaun roll his eyes.

"Never mind, Nicole, I'll pin him down later. He's useless to me right now. Call me when your mind is ready to focus on more than the beautiful woman in your arms, Alpha."

"I fear that may be never, but I'll do my best to raise my head above the fog of mating heat smothering my brain sometime later today."

Jaryn disconnected the signal of the link with a tap to the laser keyboard lighting up the surface of his desk.

Nicole smiled and leant back to kiss him. Her lips parted and Jaryn slowly fed his tongue between the lush flesh. He adjusted their bodies so he could deepen the kiss and sank his hand into the cool curtain of Nicole's fiery hair. She tasted of the strawberries they'd had for brunch and the uniqueness that was his mate—the addicting essence that fuelled his senses and made his heart thump to the beat of an earthy drum. When he felt a vibration low in Nicole's chest, Jaryn separated from his mate and stared in wonder.

"Did you just growl?"

Nicole's eyes fluttered open in confusion. "What?"

He must be imaging things. "Nothing, love. As pleasurable as this is, let's make that call I promised you last night. Then we can get lost in each other for hours on end."

Nicole sneaked a quick kiss from Jaryn's lips. "No, then you and Shaun are going to contact the council and put a plan in motion to rescue Adam's hostages."

"How did you…"

"While you were busy nibbling on my neck. Shaun filled me in on your plans. Please be careful, Jaryn. Adam has that place so wired any trip of his alarms will send it into instant lock-down. You wouldn't be able to get in if you had rocket launchers. I couldn't stand it if something happened to you."

"I won't say ‘don't worry' because that's useless. But I will say have faith, my little mate. This isn't my first rodeo, which is why the council nominated me for this task force."

Nicole got up off Jaryn's lap and sat on his desk facing him. "What do you mean?"

"I know we haven't got to sharing everything about our lives yet, but in our reckless youth, Cooper and I spent a decade in the military. We were part of a Spec Ops team that comprised individuals with… shall we say, extra abilities. It's where we eventually met Shaun."

"You're telling me you were some type of clandestine military operative who was part of a team of shifters?"

"Shifters, vamps, individuals with paranormal talents," he chuckled. "There was even this fairy named Collin who played the best practical jokes. Nobody was safe from his shenanigans."

"Wow. Didn't see that one coming. Did you say vamps? As in vampire? And a fairy?" Jaryn nodded. "You didn't think shifters were the only paranormal group in the world, did you?"

Nicole tilted her head and frowned. "I never really thought about it. If Adam has someone like Kenneth imprisoned, maybe he also has some of the other kinds as well? I'm sorry, I didn't even think of that when we were going over the details. It makes sense, though. So how come we haven't heard anything in the public about those groups?"

"Don't worry, love. I did think of it, even if you didn't. Besides, you told me that Broyles kept you locked up in your suite. It's not as if you could organize social mixers. When it looked like our secret was about to be exposed, the Council of Praeternaturals, which is essentially a worldwide council that represents all paranormal groups, minimized the blowout. Shifters volunteered to be the scapegoat. So we announced our presence to the world to deflect exposure from the other groups. So far, it's been effective, but we all know it's only a matter of time before people uncover more and more information. We've kept most of our secrets safe for around fifty thousand plus years. Not a poor track record, if you ask me, but time is always moving forward and we have to move with it."

"Shifters have been around for fifty thousand years?"

Jaryn shrugged. "That's what some of our historians say. But there's really no way for us to know for sure. Beings such as my fairy friend Collin are technically immortal, so they really don't have a born-on date."

Nicole's face went slack and Jaryn knew that he'd overwhelmed her. He picked up her limp hands and raised them to his lips. Nicole blinked, then smiled when he nibbled on her dainty fingers.

"Don't worry, love. I promise if I ever invite a vampire or fairy into our home, I'll warn you," he said, smiling.

Nicole gently shoved Jaryn away, jumped off the desk, then straddled his legs. She combed through the hair on the back of his head and pulled his face to within an inch of her. Her soft breasts pressed against his chest, and he wished they were naked so he could feel her plush vaginal lips surround his cock as they rocked together in his office chair. He sat still, letting Nicole call the shots in their play. His mate rubbed their noses together, then ghosted her lips across his cheekbones. Her nails scraped his scalp, making his skin tingle all over as her hips ground against him in a hypnotic rhythm. Jaryn couldn't resist her spell—his mind filled with need and his heart overflowed with love for the enchantress in his arms.

Nicole leaned forward and placed her lips against Jaryn's ear. "If you ever invite a vampire or fairy or any other supernatural being into our home, I expect more than a ‘oh by the way'. You got that, mate ?"

Jaryn's arms came around Nicole's back and pulled her into his embrace. "Yes, love. Anything for you."

Nicole gave Jaryn a peck on his forehead, then leaped off his lap. "Good. Now how do we set up this secure link you promised me?"

Jaryn growled and captured Nicole's hips as she bent over his desk to access a new window in his communication programme. He pulled her back into his lap and tickled her as he nibbled up and down her neck. Nicole's laughter echoed in his office. Her little body squirmed in his arms, and Jaryn couldn't think of a single moment in his life when he'd been happier.

When Nicole gasped for air from laughing so hard, Jaryn settled her by rubbing her belly beneath the soft T-shirt she wore. He held her securely in his arms and enjoyed a quiet moment with his mate.

"You ready, love?"

Nicole nodded eagerly and her smile made Jaryn's heart turn over in his chest. "Who should we call first?"

"Can we have a three-way?"

Jaryn raised one eyebrow and chuckled when a cute little blush stole across Nicole's cheeks. "Sure. Let me tap into the secure uplink." Jaryn pulled up the program the military trained him on. He still had access, since he occasionally did consulting work for them. He inputted the contact information for Nicole's parents and her brother. Nicole's leg bounced in the chair next to him and she nibbled on her thumbnail. Jaryn hit the last key stroke and took his mate's hand in his. In a matter of seconds, the wall came alive with a split image of a middle-aged couple of and a young man with dark brownish-red hair.

Nicole leaped off the seat and ran to touch the wall where the projection showed. "Hello? Can I help you?"

Jaryn smiled at the happiness on Nicole's face. "Mr and Mrs Holland? Cameron Holland?"

"Yes," both images answered.

"I have someone who'd like to talk to you." Jaryn waved Nicole back over to the desk and pointed to the camera lens imbedded in the E-sphere.

Nicole slowly walked over and sat in the chair. She reached for Jaryn's hand and squeezed tight. "Mom? Dad? Cam? I've missed you so much," she said with tears in her eyes.