Skylar’s Devotion (10 page)

With the knife, Skylar cut first Roxie’s bindings before he set her mom free. Once he cut her free, Braelyn met his worried gaze. “Say something, Braelyn. Anything.”

She opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to sort out the jumble of emotions inside her. But before she could organize her thoughts, Roxie let out a pained cry. All three of them rushed over to her.

“Ah, god, I need to push,” Roxie ground out as she started to tear at her pants.

Braelyn knelt next to Roxie as her mother took control of the situation. All business, she turned to Skylar first. “Go upstairs and, in the hall linen closet, grab a bed sheet and a couple of towels.” Once he took off at a run, moving unbelievably fast, her mom looked to her. “Braelyn, help me with Roxie’s pants.”

They’d managed to strip Roxie from the waist down when Skylar returned. Her mom snatched the bed sheet from him and draped it over Roxie’s waist. She then shoved the towels at Braelyn.

“It’s coming,” Roxie shouted. “Skylar, call Beowulf and tell him to get his butt over here, now.”

“I’m on it,” he quickly said and pulled out his cell phone. He was only on it a minute before he hung up. “He’s on his way. He’ll call the midwife.”

“This will be all over before either one of them arrive,” her mom said as she knelt between Roxie’s spread legs and looked under the sheet. “She’s crowning already.”

“You sound as if you’ve done this before.”

Her mother smiled. “I have many times. I used to be a labor/delivery nurse for a number of years until Braelyn talked me into quitting. She didn’t like the long hours I had to put in at the hospital.” Roxie groaned as she started to push. “That’s a girl. A few more of those and you’ll be holding your baby in your arms.”

Five minutes later, after giving six good pushes, a baby’s high-pitched cries echoed in the room. Braelyn watched her mom put the baby on Roxie’s stomach. “It’s a girl,” she said.

“A nice, healthy little girl. Braelyn, go to the kitchen and get the spool of string out of the junk drawer along with one of the knives from the butcher block. And the open bottle of white wine I have in the fridge.”

Going to get what her mother asked for, Braelyn had to walk past her stalker. He groaned when she drew near. She looked back at Skylar to find him already on his way toward her. He gave her stalker a punch to the back of his head, knocking him unconscious once again. She hurried by him and went into the kitchen.

It took her only a few seconds to collect what she needed and returned to the living room. Her mom used the string and the knife—that she sterilized with the wine—to cut the cord. She’d just finished when the doorbell rang. Skylar went to answer it and came back with a large, dark-haired man who rushed straight to Roxie when he saw her.

Roxie pulled back the towel from around the baby she held in her arms. “We have a girl, Beowulf.”

He gently touched the baby’s cheek and then kissed Roxie on the forehead. “She’s beautiful. And of course you couldn’t do this the easy way, Rox, could you?”

“I do like to keep you on your toes.”

“The midwife should be here any minute.”

Now with all the excitement over, Braelyn looked over at Skylar to find him intently watching her. He more than likely was worried about how she had taken the news about him being a werewolf, and that they were mates. But she wasn’t ready to face any of that right now. She turned away from him and went to stand beside her mom.

It wasn’t until after everything had been taken care of that Skylar tried to get Braelyn all to himself. The midwife had arrived and taken over, declaring Roxie and her newborn daughter had managed to get through the birth with no complications. Both mother and baby had then been bundled up in another one of Bev’s cleans sheets, and Beowulf took his wife and child home with the midwife accompanying them.

As for Braelyn’s stalker, after a phone call to Saskia explaining what had happened, Jager and Daylen had been sent over. Being an ex-cop, Daylen had put a call in to one of her friends at her old station. He’d come with another police officer who took the stalker away in handcuffs. Daylen’s friend then questioned Braelyn. Skylar didn’t know whether he wanted to shake her or hold her tight when he heard how many threatening letters she’d been sent and hadn’t gone to the police about.

Her statement given—minus the part where he’d shape-shifted into his wolf form—the police officer had left. Jager and Daylen followed shortly behind him. That was when Skylar decided he needed to get Braelyn alone to talk to her. She had to be having a hard time accepting what he was. Every time he caught her watching him, she quickly pulled her gaze away. At least she didn’t have fear in her eyes when she did it, but her reaction didn’t reassure him too much.

Skylar went to the kitchen where Braelyn and her mother sat at the table. That was where Braelyn had given the officer her statement. His head still hurt like a mother fucker from the blows he’d received, but he pushed the pain aside. He went to stand beside Braelyn’s chair and held out his hand. “Will you come and talk with me?”

She shook her head. “Whatever you have to say you can do so in front of my mom.”

Bev cleared her throat. “Braelyn, I think Skylar would be more comfortable if it was just you.”

“But I wouldn’t be, Mom. You know what he is. It’s no longer a secret.”

Skylar dropped his hand to his side and sat in the chair beside hers. “All right. We’ll do it your way. So now you know the truth. I’m a werewolf, and I’m over a thousand years old. And we are mated.”

Braelyn swallowed. “Roxie said that our being mated means a part of our souls joined, and that there’s no going back.”

“That’s true. And it’s true I knew you were the one meant for me when I first saw you crossing that street. When a male werewolf encounters the scent of his would-be mate, it jump-starts his mating urge. It’ll ride him until the mating bond is in place. And once it is, mated couples literally can’t be apart from each other unless they want to suffer separation anxiety. An hour away from your mate feels like months. Your mind will play tricks on you, making you believe something bad has happened to the other. All you’ll be able to think about is getting back to your mate.”

“That’s why you wanted me to come with you when you had to watch over Roxie,” Braelyn said softly.

“Yes.”

“If that’s the case, why didn’t Roxie go through it? She wasn’t with Beowulf for at least an hour and didn’t seem to suffer for it.”

“That’s because they’ve been mated for a little while. After a year or so, it isn’t as bad as it is for newly mated couples. Roxie and Beowulf can be away from each other for a couple hours before it starts to set in.”

“Roxie also said she’s the special someone you know who can use the spell to turn me.”

“It will be your choice to make. And Roxie is special. She is the foretold one and rules over all the werewolf packs. My family has trained for hundreds of years to be her Protectors.”

Braelyn’s mother, who had remained quiet, spoke up. “That is a big decision you’ve put on my daughter’s shoulders, Skylar. I know you said you knew she was your mate when you first saw her, but I have ask, do you love her?”

Skylar locked gazes with Braelyn. “I’ve already told her that I do, but I’ll say it again. I love her with every fiber in my being. I started to fall for her the instant I saw her. If that hadn’t been possible, my mating urge never would have kicked in. And I will continue to love her for the rest of my very long life. I’m utterly devoted to her and would do everything in my power to keep her happy.”

“That’s all I needed to hear.” Bev pushed back her chair and stood. She kissed her daughter on top of her head. “Braelyn, hold onto this one and don’t ever let go. He’s a keeper.”

Braelyn looked up at her mom with a shocked expression on her face. “You have no problem with Skylar being a werewolf?”

“Honey, if it weren’t for him being a werewolf, you would more than likely be dead at the hands of that sick stalker. And the way he looks at you is the same way your father looks at me. He truly loves you. Also considering this mating bond he talked about is more permanent than a marriage license, you’ll never have to worry about him only being with you for your fame.”

“And what about me being turned into a werewolf? Can you accept that as well, Mom?”

“Yes, I can. To be honest, I’m all for it. What mother wouldn’t want their child to live for a few thousand years? Heck, if it were possible, I’d be getting in line right behind you for the spell. After I convinced your father to go through with it, of course.”

Skylar cleared his throat. “Ah, that could probably be arranged. My sister-in-arms, Saskia, her mate, Eli, was a mortal like you and comes from a big family. His twin and his sister, Billie, also took werewolves for their mates and decided to be turned. They have two older brothers and a father who have remained mortal, but Roxie offered to turn them to keep the family together. They’re all thinking about it.”

“You would do that, Mom?” Braelyn asked. “You’d become a werewolf if I decided to go through with it?”

“I’m not going to say I don’t find the long life aspect of it unappealing. Who wouldn’t like such a long life? We’d have to convince your father to do it, though. But that is something we can talk about later. Right now, I think it’s more important you and Skylar talk. Alone. I’m going to go clean up the mess in the living room.” Before she left them, she added, “And if you want to take him up to your bedroom to have more privacy, I won’t stop you.”

Skylar was tempted to follow Bev out to the living room and give her a big kiss. Agreeing to the turn would hopefully make it easier for his mate to make the same decision as well. After what had happened here today, the thought of Braelyn not being a werewolf scared him. If she’d been turned, she would have been faster and stronger than the sicko who had wanted to kill her.

He met Braelyn’s gaze. “Will you go upstairs with me? If you’re not comfortable with that, I can take you to my place.”

She shook her head. “That would just delay things. We’ll finish our talk in my room.”

Skylar followed her out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Inside her bedroom, Braelyn shut the door behind them. He made a point of not sitting on the bed. He stayed in the middle of the room and waited for her to make the next move. He ached to hold her, to make love to her, but since she’d made no move to touch him since the truth about what he was had come out, he wouldn’t push her until she was ready.

Braelyn shoved away from the back of the door she’d been leaning against and slowly walked toward him. She stopped when she stood in front of him. “So much has happened today—the stalker, you being a werewolf, and Roxie having her baby. I feel as though I should be sitting in a dark corner with my legs drawn to my chest while I rock myself, mumbling incoherently as tears run down my cheeks. But one thing is stopping me from doing it.”

“What would that be?”

“You. Any time I start to feel panic setting in, I look at you and remember how safe I feel in your arms. How protected. And that you’ll do anything to keep me that way. Knowing you’re a werewolf just adds to that feeling.” He went to reach for her, but Braelyn stopped him by holding up her hands. “Wait, I’m not finished yet. I know you love me, and that I love you, but I’m not exactly thrilled you mated us without telling me beforehand.”

He blew out a breath. “I had the best intentions in the beginning, I swear. Roxie has a set of rules she tries to impose on male werewolves who have found their mortal mates. One of them is we have to tell them what we are and what it means to be mated to us before we claim them. Unfortunately, it’s a counterproductive rule when it comes to the mating urge. Being female, Roxie doesn’t really have a clue how bad it can get. And then you booked the hotel room and I was lost, especially after you bit me on the neck.”

“Why does my biting you have anything to do with it? And you were the one who told me to do it, I might add.”

“A bite where the shoulder meets the neck during foreplay is the biggest turn-on for a male werewolf. And if the female bites hard enough to leave a mark behind, we like to proudly show it off so other females know we’re taken.” Skylar watched Braelyn’s gaze land on the exact spot on his neck he’d been talking about.

She stepped a little closer until they were toe-to-toe. “You mean like this?”

Braelyn went on tiptoe, tugged the collar of his shirt away and bit him where his shoulder and neck met, hard enough that there was no question of whether she’d marked his skin. He shuddered and wrapped his arms around her as his cock went instantly rock-hard.

“Braelyn. God, I have to be inside you.” She bit him again, and he clutched her tighter, his cock jerking inside his pants.

When she lifted her head, he took her lips in a bone-melting kiss. He poured all his need and love he had for her into it. She returned it with the same heat. With teeth and tongue, he deepened the contact. After coming so close to losing her, he needed the earthly affirmation of lovemaking to show him he hadn’t. He wanted to hear his mate’s cries of passion echoing in his ears as he took her over and over again.

Breaking the connection with his mouth, Braelyn grabbed the bottom of his shirt and yanked it up. “Naked. Now.”

With little finesse, they both managed to strip all their clothes off. Naked, they fell on her double bed in a tangle of limbs, their lips meeting once again. Braelyn pushed him on his back and then straddled his hips.

She looked down at him. “Your eyes are glowing.”

“It means I’m aroused.”

“Then I’d better do something about it.”

She reached down, took hold of his cock and held it in position as she slowly lowered herself on it. Once she’d taken him to the hilt inside her pussy, she started to ride him. Low growls of pleasure rumbled out of him as she arched her hips to take him deeper. He reached up to cover her breasts, kneading them when she put her hands on top of his.

Faster she rode him, her inner muscles gripping his shaft tightly until he couldn’t hold back any longer. At the first flutter of her orgasm, he let out a howl and surged up one final time as his cock emptied deep inside her pussy.

Braelyn collapsed on top of him. He put his arms around her and stroked her back when she started to shake. “Braelyn? Talk to me.” When she didn’t say anything and he felt wetness against his chest, he shifted them until he sat with his back against the headboard. He cupped her face and forced her to look at him. “Don’t cry.”

“I was so scared,” she whispered. “My mom was right. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be alive now.”

He kissed her forehead. “It’s over now, and I won’t let anything like that happen again. I am a Protector, after all.”

She gave him a watery smile. “You might be one of Roxie’s Protectors, but you belong to me now and I’m not giving you back.”

“I’ll make sure she knows that.”

Braelyn wiped her eyes with her hand. “Good. Now kiss me and show me just how devoted you are to me again.”

Skylar did just that and then some.