Authors: Carrie Ann Ryan
Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #Paranormal, #Fantasy, #General, #series, #Paranormal Romance, #Dante's Circle
“I think it was just everything.”
“Everything.” Shit. What did that mean?
“I mean, gods, Hunter. Everything that has happened lately is freaking terrifying if you look at it all together. We met because I was mugged and almost raped in an alley.”
He clenched his jaw, forcing back the rage at that memory.
“I almost died when that piece of wood sliced through me as the djinn attacked.”
This time the rage mixed with the horror at what had happened. If it hadn’t been for Jamie’s wish…
She moved so they could look at each other’s faces. He tried to school his features to avoid scaring her, but he didn’t think he was doing a good job.
“I can still remember the way you howled. At the time it was like an echo, so far away, but something I could still hold on to. I know Jamie’s wish is what saved me, but if you hadn’t been there on the other side, pulling me through…” She shuddered. “You were the one for me then, even if we didn’t know exactly what to do about it.”
He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear then traced his finger down her cheek. He didn’t speak, knowing she needed to let her words out and find a place.
“Then, when we finally became a couple, or at least were trying to, considering my own pig-headed human way, the council changed all of that. Ever since, things have been crazy, Hunter. It’s like it’s one thing after another, trying to test us or break us apart.”
He frowned, knowing she was right, but still not liking the words. He hadn’t done enough to protect her from his own past. He knew that, but it didn’t make it any easier to swallow.
“I’m sorry I’m not a better protector,” he whispered. “I should be stronger than I am, and yet, you keep getting hurt.”
She shook her head quickly then framed his face with her hands. He placed one of his own on top of hers, needing the touch.
“It’s not your fault the world is out to get us. Okay, maybe not the world, but enough people with ego trips that it feels like the whole world. You’re doing all you can, and I know you want to do more. You can’t without endangering others, Hunter. I know that.”
“It’s why you needed to leave though.”
She shook her head again. “No, maybe, I don’t know. I think it was all too much, and I just needed to breathe again. I hid away here from my own past and decisions, leaving my friends worrying about me. That was selfish.”
He frowned. “They knew where you were and how things where. You weren’t selfish.”
“I feel like that now, and from now on, I’m not going to be. I’m going to have to find a way to blend both worlds.”
He nodded. “Done. I’ll help. Anything you need.”
“You’re just what I need, Hunter. I hope you know that.”
She smiled, though he felt as though there was something else he was missing. He kissed her forehead, needing to touch her again, and stiffened.
There was something different about her scent. Something…sweeter…softer.
His eyes widened and he dropped his jaw.
“Holy shit. You’re pregnant.”
She pulled back, her eyes wide, but not full of the surprise he’d have expected.
“You knew.”
She winced. “I found out this morning. I think that’s what caused the whole freak-out. Not that I don’t want this baby, because, oh gods, I do, but because everything is going so quickly.”
He blinked, his mouth opening and closing. He wanted to say something, but he hadn’t the words.
Pregnant.
His mate was pregnant with his child.
An image of Becca large and round, naked with her hair covering her full breasts and her hands resting on the place where she grew their future filled his mind, and he smiled.
“We’re having a baby,” he whispered.
A baby.
“Hunter? Are you okay?”
He nodded slowly, everything like words and actions taking a bit longer to process than usual.
He was going to be a father. Becca, a mother.
Holy shit. This changed everything.
He pulled back so he could place his hand on her flat stomach. “I…I…” He had no idea what he was trying to say, but whatever it was, apparently his brain had gone on meltdown. A happy meltdown, but one nonetheless.
Would she freak out if he ran around the yard and howled to the moon so everyone would know that he gotten her pregnant?
Too alpha male?
Probably.
“You’re pregnant.”
“You said that already. Are you okay? What are you thinking?” Becca’s words sped up as she talked, as if she were afraid of what he might say, how he might react.
“I’m…” He stood up and brought her with him, needing to feel as much of her as he could. “We’re having a baby. I’m so fucking happy right now I want to strut around and tell everyone how male I am because I got you pregnant.”
She snorted, laughter dancing in her eyes. “I can totally picture you doing that. In fact, I think Shade did that exact thing when he told us Lily was pregnant.”
Hunter grinned at the thought. “It looks like our baby will have a playmate.”
Becca gave a small smile then full-out and threw her arms around his neck. “We’re having a baby!”
He lifted her off her feet and spun her around, unable to believe his joy. “Wait.” He froze and set her down. “I shouldn’t be twirling you around like that. You should rest or lie down or something. Should I bring you tea? No. You can’t have caffeine. I think I read something about no milk either. Or maybe that was lots of milk. Hell, I’m going to have to go read some baby books right now so I know what to do.”
Becca threw her head back and laughed. “We can learn together, though I think we’re going to need to see the Pack doctor instead of a human one. They’ll tell us what to do and what to read. As for twirling? I think that’s okay. I mean, come on, you don’t expect me to sit around and do nothing strenuous this whole time, do you?”
He had considered doing just that, but the tone of Becca’s words told him that would be a bad idea.
“Hunter, if I can’t move around, we can’t make love. Get it?”
He froze then nodded slowly. “Oh, yeah, I don’t want to quit doing that until the last possible minute.”
She grinned. “So we’re okay? I mean, after what happened earlier?”
He nodded. “We’re perfect. As for why you freaked out before, we’re handling that. Right now, though, I want to shut out the rest of the world and make love to my mate.”
She bit her lip and looked up at him through lowered lashes. “I thought you’d never ask.” Then she bent down in front of him and traced his dick through his jeans.
He swallowed hard but didn’t move. “Becca, darling, what are you doing?”
She looked up at him then, and he about came in his jeans at the sight of her kneeling before him, her hand on his crotch and her wide eyes looking up at him. Oh, hell yeah, he couldn’t wait to fuck her mouth.
“I thought I’d give you a present for being so understanding,” she teased.
He ran a hand through her hair. “Any time you want to put my cock between those lips of yours, all you have to do is ask. You don’t need a reason to suck me off, baby.”
She quickly undid his jeans and took his dick out. Just her touch made him want to blow, but he had more control than that.
At least a little.
She licked around the crown and then underneath to the sensitive area that made his eyes roll to the back of his head. He forced his gaze on her then wrapped her hair around his fist and pulled a bit.
Her eyes widened as she looked up at him, her pupils dilated with need.
“You want to go slow tonight? Or hard and fast?”
She kissed the tip of his dick then smiled. “I think when I get too pregnant, we’ll have to be creative and a bit softer, and when the baby comes, we’ll have to be quieter. So why not go all out and have you fuck me hard while you can?”
He groaned and tugged on her hair so she was looking directly at him again. “I’m taking all the control tonight, baby. My wolf is on edge, and I need you.”
“Anything,” she whispered.
He pushed her head toward his cock, and her mouth opened. He wouldn’t force her to choke on him, but he wanted her to know he was the one in control and yet also know that he would never hurt her.
She swallowed the head of his cock, moving her tongue as she did so. He pulled her back by her hair, leaving a wet trail on his dick.
“Lick down my dick then suck on my balls. I want to be nice and hard for you when I come down that pretty throat of yours.”
She looked up at him, pure pleasure on her face. “You’re pretty hard right now.”
He didn’t grin, but he wanted to. “I’m going to have to punish you for that sass a bit later.”
She grinned and didn’t look too worried about her punishment.
Good.
His mate licked and sucked along his length until she reached his balls. She pressed his cock up to his stomach so she could get better access then started sucking. She started on one, letting it roll in her mouth then letting go with a pop, before licking over to the other one and repeating the process. He tapped on her hand covering his dick, and she let go, knowing what he wanted. He held his dick himself as one of her hands gripped his thigh, the other one reaching around his balls to rub his perineum. He groaned and loosened the grip on her hair so she could have better access. Her finger rubbed hard then moved back to circle his hole.
They’d never done finger play on him before, only her, but if she wanted to explore, fuck, he’d let her.
As long as she knew whom exactly was in control.
She pulled back and slid her hands in her jeans then slid them back out, her fingers slick with her own juices.
“What are you doing, baby?” he asked gruffly. Oh, he knew
exactly
was she was doing since they didn’t have lube in the living room, but he wanted to hear her say the words.
“I want to play,” she teased.
“You going to fuck my ass with those fingers of yours?”
Her eyes widened at the vulgarity then nodded.
“Can you do that with my dick in your mouth?” he asked. He had a feeling as soon as she started rubbing his prostate he’d come hard, and he’d rather it be down her throat than on her face and tits.
“I think so.”
He grinned then pulled her closer. “Suck,” he demanded.
She took him into her mouth, sliding along his length then pulling back. He let her set the pace while she was learning, but he’d take over soon.
She was still fully dressed, and he wore his shirt and his pants were down around his knees.
So. Fucking. Hot.
He felt her fingers around his hole testing, teasing, and he clenched his jaw. Finally, she pressed one slick finger against the opening and slid it in. They both froze at the sensation for a moment before she started working him. He gripped her hair hard so her head remained still.
“I’m going to fuck your mouth, baby. That way you can focus on what you’re doing back there, okay?”
She nodded with his dick in her mouth, and he held back a smile.
Fuck, his mate was hot.
He pumped his hips slowly, letting her catch up. She widened her jaw to take more of him, that slick heat almost as good as her pussy. Her finger worked in and out of him as he moved, but she also ran small circles over the bundle of nerves, and he had to hold back from coming right there.
He wanted to let the pleasure ride out a bit before he came.
He fucked her mouth hard, pulled back when he hit the back of her throat, and then set a decent pace that left them both panting and sweat-slick. Finally, that tingle at the base of his spine shot up, and his balls tightened. She pressed down on that bundle of nerves, and he jetted down her throat. He gripped her hair and forced her head to stay close to his body so she could swallow him all.
Finally, he moved back, and she licked her lips and brought her hands down to her lap.
Damn did they make a pretty picture.
“Did you like that, my Becca?”
“Gods yes, can we do that again?”
He grinned down at her then picked her up by her shoulders until she was pressed against him. “Any time you want, but right now, I’m going to take care of you. However, I think I owe you a punishment for that sass of yours and for you leaving me before.”
Her eyes widened, but not with fear.
“Go into the bedroom, take off your clothes and kneel on the bed on all fours.”
“Okay.”
Thank the gods, Becca was all in.
She scurried away, but not without swaying her hips just so for him. His cock filled again, and it was as though he hadn’t just exploded a minute or so ago.
He stripped out of his clothes and tossed them on the couch. He had to force himself not to go in the bedroom right away and get started. No, he wanted to take his time and ensure Becca was ready for him.
After a few more minutes, he walked naked into the bedroom and sucked in a breath at the sight before him.
Becca knelt on all fours on the bed at the edge of the bed, her head lowered, her ass and pussy facing him.
She was perfect.
“I’ll never hurt you, Becca,” he whispered as he walked toward her.
“I know.”
“I’ll just use my hand. I know you like that little sting, but not too much, and I love seeing your ass red from my hand.”
A shiver ran over her body, and he smiled.
Oh yes, she was ready.
He slid his hands up her spine, loving the soft feel of her skin beneath his palms. She shuddered under his touch, and he inhaled her scent.
He pulled back so he could get a good look at her ass and swallowed a groan. Hell, he had the most beautiful and sexy mate alive.
Her ass was plump and ready for his hand. Her pussy was wet, ready for his lips, his tongue, his fingers, his cock…him.
He couldn’t wait to pound into her and feel her pussy clamp around his dick like a vise.
First, though, he had things to do.
He rubbed his hand along her pale ass, the softness creamy. He leaned down to kiss the small of her back, and she groaned.
“This is for that sass of yours,” he growled softly.
His hand came down hard on her ass, and she gasped then let out a little moan. He was sure not to hit too hard but just enough to give them both a little sting. He slapped her four more times on one cheek then five on the other, making sure to never hit her in the same exact spot twice.