Far From Innocent (24 page)

“You two barely know each other,” Dimitri growled. “Why the hell did you mate with her?”

Juan scratched his head, staring at the ground while he searched his mind for a good answer. He hadn’t planned anything. And he should have. Now he stood here, fumbling for something to say, which made him appear an idiot.

He blew out his breath and tossed his hands in the air, slapping his sides and began pacing before he realized his actions.

“How do I explain to either one of you what I feel for her?” he said, almost talking more to himself than to them. “I’m not a fool, and I’m not a pup.” He stopped pacing and met their attentive gazes. Both of these werewolves loved Erin possibly as much as he did. “And I didn’t force anything on her.”

“I believe that one,” Nicolo mumbled and Dimitri glared at him. Nicolo met his glare. “Erin doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to do. You know that as well as I do.

If she wants this werewolf, then we give our blessing.”

“Like Erin knows what is best for her.” Dimitri turned on Juan. “Tell me about this money that you say you have. I want to know you can provide for her. Because I tell you now, werewolf, if you think I have a temper, Erin is twice as bad.”

“That’s no lie,” Nicolo agreed. “And when she gets pissed off, she will send things flying at you.”

“I have money in a couple of accounts,” he offered, deciding no matter how much he needed to prove himself to them, the details of his financial life were none of their damned business. The last thing he would tell them was how many packs paid him and Dante for protection over the past five years since arriving in the States. “Erin will be provided for and she’ll be loved.”

“You love her?” Nicolo asked.

“Yes.”

Silence fell between them. Something rustled outside the door and both werewolves looked past him. Juan sniffed the air. He turned and reached the door before the other two moved and pulled it open quickly to see a sheepish-looking Erin standing on the other side. She smiled as if she’d just been caught with her tail where it didn’t belong.

“I love you too,” she mouthed and grinned broadly.

He decided his talk with the werewolves behind him was over. There was no way he’d be able to hold an intelligent conversation with them now anyway. Erin stood before him, smelling of soap and happiness. Her black hair hung straight, draping over her large breasts and behind her shoulders. It was still damp and her cheeks were flushed, probably from a hot shower, but also from being caught listening.

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She nibbled on her lower lip and he watched the act then dropped his gaze to the sweater she wore that clung to her figure. Her jeans hugged her hips and showed off her shapely legs. She was the best damned thing he’d seen all day.

“Come here,” he growled, and then scooped her into his arms before she could stop him.

“Juan,” she cried out, laughing and wrapping her arms around his neck. “What are you doing?”

“I’m bringing my mate into her new den. Now hold still.” He slapped her ass and she squealed.

It was a damned good thing she clung to him the way she did because his dick got instantly hard. Not even the growl that ripped through Dimitri swayed his suddenly good mood.

“My new den?” she asked, and then struggled against him more, her large breasts smashing against his chest.

Damn it. Why the hell did her littermates have to be standing here glaring at the two of them?

“At least we know you weren’t standing out there too long,” Nicolo said, crossing his arms and watching the two of them.

“Put me down. I want to see it.” She twisted against him.

But when he lowered her to the ground, she held on to him a moment longer than he thought she would have. He ignored the still tender spots on his body that hadn’t quite healed yet. It should have dawned on him that she’d be pretty sore today after fucking him in her fur. He brushed his hands over her damp hair. If Dimitri and Nicolo were going to continue standing there, they could damned well start getting used to seeing his hands on their littermate.

“Are you okay?” he whispered.

For some reason, the beautiful blush that quickly covered her cheeks really pleased him. “Perfect,” she whispered, but then turned away from him, her grin growing broader by the moment as she looked around the naked living room. “Oh my God. It’s perfect.”

“It’s about the same floor plan as our den,” Dimitri grumbled.

Her smell of happiness was exactly how he’d imagined this den smelling. When she ignored Dimitri and turned to him instead, his insides almost burst with pride.

His mate. His woman. His bitch.

“Do we have furniture?” she asked.

“We’ll get your bedroom furniture moved over here later today,” Nicolo said.

Dimitri mumbled something about time.

Erin either didn’t hear him or didn’t care. She turned to her littermates and first hugged Nicolo, who held her affectionately in his arms. Then she turned to Dimitri and 127

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wrapped her arms around his waist. Her littermate moved slowly but finally put his arms around his sister and buried his face in her hair.

“You have the right to come back to us if he doesn’t treat you well,” he said loud enough for Juan to hear.

She pulled away from him and stroked his cheek. “Will you throw me a mating party? Just like they used to have in Malta?”

Maybe it was Juan’s imagination, but something softened in Dimitri’s expression.

Juan didn’t think he’d ever seen the werewolf not look angry. Dimitri studied Erin’s face for a long moment and then nodded slowly.

“You’ll have your party,” he agreed, and she squealed loud enough to almost hurt their ears. Dimitri put his hands on her shoulders and then slowly backed her up until Juan took her from him. The werewolf met his gaze, looking more concerned now than anything. “Take care of her,” he said, and then headed toward the door.

Nicolo moved to follow and then faced Juan. “Our dens are one now. We will always have your back.”

“And I would kill for either one of you.” Juan meant it. The two of them could have fought the mating, but they didn’t. They’d just made him the happiest werewolf on the mountain.

Dimitri left the cabin and announced to the werewolves who obviously still lingered outside, “It is done. They are mated.” Words a pack leader would have said, if they officially had one.

Juan heard Dante howl and Josie joined in. Laughter sounded, and Moira hurried into the den, immediately pulling Erin out of his arms and hugging her tightly.

“We are related now.” Moira smiled when she let go of Erin and stroked her hair.

“We will run together and lay our kill at our mates’ paws.”

The words were traditional but said with enough emotion that Erin’s salty embarrassment filled the air. He stroked her back, knowing how moved she was to be welcomed.

“I will kill for you, Moira Alto,” she said humbly.

“And I will kill for you.” Moira grinned over at Juan. “Dante will bring a table for your kitchen later today.”

“Sounds good.” In larger dens, often a newly mated couple got more furniture and gifts than would fit in their new home. He wasn’t too worried about it though.

Dante showed up in the doorway with Josie behind him. “Come on, bitch of mine.

Give these two some time together.” He made a show of reaching in and tugging Moira out of the den, but then grinned at Juan and ignored her scowl at being handled roughly. “Give me a call in a couple hours. I think we can handle helping the new dens get settled without you for a bit.”

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He didn’t wait for Juan to answer but wrapped Moira into his arms and reached for the door. Josie gave him a salute and then the door was closed, leaving him alone in his new den with his bitch.

Erin turned around in front of him, glancing around the empty room and then looking toward the kitchen and small hallway that led to the two bedrooms and bathroom.

“I’m a mated bitch.” She said the words as if letting them sink in instead of speaking to him.

He followed her into the kitchen and watched her trail her fingers along the clean countertop. She ran her hand down the faucet, opened and closed the refrigerator, then touched the wall before heading to the hallway and opening the doors to the bedrooms.

She peeked into one of them and then entered the other one, turning slowly and taking all of it in.

Her awkwardness made him hesitate. Tradition allowed them this time to bless their new den, make love and enjoy the newness of their mating. And he had every intention of honoring that tradition to its fullest. The way Erin stood there, looking more innocent than he’d probably ever see her look again, with her silky, long black hair still damp and clinging to her full curves, made him want her even more. There was no way he could keep his cock from hardening, lengthening against his jeans while he watched her digest all that had just happened.

“Erin Anthony,” he said quietly, voicing her new name for her to hear.

She looked up at him, long, thick black lashes fluttering over her dark eyes. Her mouth formed a small circle and then slowly she moistened her lips and smiled.

“Juan and Erin Anthony,” she whispered. “It’s got a good ring to it.”

“Yes it does.”

“I love you, Juan.”

“I love you too.”

She finally moved. He wasn’t going to come to her, sensing she needed to take things at her own pace. Slowly she walked up to him, her scent drowning him. She smelled so wonderful, like fresh rain, clean with a hint of lavender. He noted perfume that she didn’t usually wear and imagined she’d taken extra care showering before coming to him. Knowing she’d prepared herself for him drained every ounce of blood in his body straight to his cock. It burned with a fever he could barely contain when she ran her hands up his chest and then leaned into him.

He wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair until she tilted her head for him.

“I want to know every little detail about you,” he told her. “I want to know what excites you the most and what terrifies you.”

“I don’t like spiders,” she said, making a face.

“Then I will kill them all.”

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“And you excite me and scare me,” she confessed, although her scent had turned rich and sweet, the air around them filling with the smell of her lust.

“Why do I scare you?”

“I’m not sure I’ll be what you want.” She nibbled her lip.

He leaned into her and sucked her lower lip. He scraped his own teeth over the same spot she’d just nibbled and growled when she sighed and relaxed into him.

“You are exactly what I want.” He’d never met a more perfect bitch, although this timid side of her was new to him. Her honesty was a major turn-on though.

He wanted her happy, and the thought of exploring her nature and learning everything about her sounded very appealing to him.

“I’m not perfect.”

“Neither am I.” He couldn’t help grinning. “Perfection would be boring.”

“Yeah. I think so too.”

Her nervousness mixed with the lust in the air. In spite of the fact that they’d had sex several times already, the sensations rushing through him made it feel like the first time.

“Are you tender?” He wanted her so badly.

“A little,” she whispered, raising her lashes and staring into his eyes.

“We can wait.” His body burned, every inch of it.

“I don’t want to wait,” she told him, and ran her tongue against his chin, keeping her gaze locked to his.

“Then I’ll be gentle.” Every inch of him hardened, his cock burning alive in his pants.

Erin ran her hands down his arms. “You’re trembling.”

He was fighting to maintain some sort of sanity. “And you’re beautiful.”

She smiled and arched her body against his, rubbing those large breasts over his chest until his knees popped and the change rumbled to life inside him.

“You’re also tempting every grain of decency that I have inside me,” he grumbled, knowing giving it to her rough right now would hurt her. But damn he wanted to take her hard and fast.

“You won’t hurt me.” She had no idea how her actions were drawing out the beast in him.

Or maybe she did.

“No. I’ll never hurt you.” It didn’t even need to be said. “I want your clothes off.”

She stepped back from him. His body tingled everywhere she’d just touched and fire swept inside his veins, heightening his senses and making it a challenge to stay focused.

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Erin spread her arms, giving him a grin that grabbed his attention. While he watched, her sweater rose up her body. She kept her arms spread, amusement sparkling in her dark eyes.

“What are you doing?” He was a captive to her actions, his gaze dropping to the bottom of her sweater as it crawled up her stomach.

“Watch,” she instructed, and grit her teeth together as if using the gift in this fashion took effort on her part.

The sweater crawled up her body, revealing her creased bellybutton above her jeans and her flat, hard tummy. Her dark flesh glowed as it appeared before him, and she stretched her arms further when the sweater bunched up over her breasts and then slowly gathered around her neck.

“Damn it, little bitch. That is fucking hot.” His teeth pricked his lips when he spoke.

She raised her arms over her head, stretching her body before him, and let her head fall back, closing her eyes while the sweater slowly covered her face. His muscles spasmed, the urge to leap at her while momentarily trapped under her sweater almost overtaking him.

Erin performed for him, slowly undressing and showing off at the same time. He fought to stay put and enjoy her show without attacking her.

He sucked in his breath, hissing when the sweater balled above her head and then fell as if invisible hands had let go of it. She raised her head, keeping her arms extended above her head. Long lashes fluttered over her smoldering gaze.

“Do you like it so far?” she asked, her voice noticeably huskier.

“Oh yeah,” he growled. “Are you done?”