Tameka's Smile (16 page)

That wife of his was no better, only she liked to party. The clubs were her choice of hang out. Tameka virtually raised herself when she wasn’t with Emma. She had her hands full, going to school and looking out for the younger ones as well. From what I hear, those two turned out just like their parents. Good for nothing.”

Chad didn’t have anything to say to that, so he left it alone.

He hadn’t even realized she had siblings. She hadn’t mentioned it when they were talking about families and such. Before he could think of a response, Alex came through the door with Carol and a few others.

“Lulu, Chad, I’m going to have to ask you to step out for a minute,” Alex respectfully commanded.

“I was just leaving,” Lulu stated. “Gotta open the shop, but wanted to stop by and see how she was doing first.”

“How long do you need? I was just heading for the shower,” Chad told Alex. “I can wait if needed.”

“No, go ahead. We should be done by the time you finish.” Alex was already by Tameka’s bedside with his team, which buzzed around her like a group of busy bees. They each put on surgical gloves as Carol set up an instrument tray next to Alex.

“Chad, call if you need anything, ya’ hear?” Lulu’s parting 104

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words distracted him from the commotion around Tameka and reminded him of what he was supposed to be doing.

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll make sure Meka knows you stopped by.” Aware of Alex patiently waiting, Chad gathered his things and locked himself in the bathroom. He wasn’t concerned with someone walking in on him, but the lock would slow his wolf down if it heard something it didn’t like and thought his mate was in danger. The locked door would hopefully buy him enough time to gain control again.

When he came out the bathroom some fifteen minutes later, a lot of the machinery around Tameka had been removed, most notably the one that was doing her breathing for her. He slanted a questioning look at Alex.

“She’s in a twilight sleep right now.”

“Okay.” He waited a moment. “What’s a twilight sleep?” Alex smiled before clarifying. “She’s unconscious, but breathing on her own. The anesthesia’s the same as if she were undergoing surgery. I doubt she’ll stay under long.” Chad examined his mate again. The patches attached to her temples and chest were gone. So was the machine. The IV had been removed from her arm, along with the tubes that were inserted in her mouth, stomach, and urethra. The only machine he could see that was still attached was the one monitoring her vitals via the clip on her finger and the blood pressure cuff on her arm—the Pulse Oximeter. They’d even removed the anti-embolism stockings from her legs.

“I’m not sure how long it will take the medicine to work its way out of her system. At the rate she’s going, I’d say no more than an hour or two. If it takes longer, I’ll reverse it medically,” Alex finished grimly.

Chad walked over to the bed and gently traced Tameka’s jaw-line with his forefinger. “So, by that I take it she’s progressing faster than expected?”

Alex sighed. “I’ve been here all night running tests and monitoring her progress. I’ve never seen anything like it. She literally turned into a shifter, right before my eyes. I watched her DNA change until it was almost a perfect match for yours.” Chad snatched his finger back and gazed at Alex in horror.

“Like twins?”

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“What? No! I meant I saw her transform from human to wolf-shifter like us. Whatever it is that makes us who we are, she has it, too. The transformation’s almost one hundred percent complete. That’s why I say she’ll be out of it soon. The medicine in her now can only put a shifter, especially an alpha, under for a very short period of time. Tameka’s already proven she’d be strong earlier when she fought off the heavy dosage she was given.” Despite the confident tone he was projecting, Alex still didn’t look too sure.

“So,” Chad spoke slowly, “she’s alright now?” Alex looked him straight in the eye. “As I told you before, this is new territory for me. I’ve never had a case like this, and there’s no one I can call to ask, not without revealing who and what we are. Based on what I can see, she’s doing fine. We won’t know for sure until she’s awake.”

He gave his patient one more all over glance, examined her vitals and made a notation on the printout, before turning back to Chad. “I’m beat. I’m going home before my mate comes looking for me. Carol’s here, as well as Tim. They’ll keep an eye on her and call me if needed.”

Chad much preferred Alex being in charge of Tameka’s medical care than Tim, Alex’s new assistant, but if the alpha felt it was safe enough to leave, he’d just have to deal.

When Alex left, Chad turned to Tameka. “Let’s get you bathed, honey, now that all those tubes aren’t in the way. I want you feeling good when you wake.”

Over the course of the week that he’d been there, he’d helped the nurses care for his mate, taking over as many of the duties as they’d allow. The one that he enjoyed most was bathing her. It was more than a sponge bath. Once done, he rubbed scented oil into her skin, massaging her muscles to increase circulation. He did it several times a day and to him, she seemed to rest easier each time.

He locked the door and took the basin into the bathroom to fill with warm water. Using one of her favorite body washes from home, he washed her from head-to-toe. After setting the basin to the side, he spread the pleasantly scented oil over his hands and fingers, and began giving his mate a deep muscle massage that started with the top of her feet and ended with a 106

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scalp massage. He was extra careful to avoid the bandaged areas where tubes were previously inserted into her flesh.

Once he finished with her front, he gently turned her and began again with her back. As he washed her, he checked that there were no sore spots or tender areas that might be an indicator of forming bedsores. Amazingly, to his inexperienced eyes, she looked good.

When she was clean, he lathered his hands with oil again and began her massage. He took his time, giving extra special care and attention to these muscles that she’d lain on for so many days. As he massaged her, he spoke to her.

“I love your feet, how they’re so dainty and narrow. And these slender ankles of yours.” As he massaged her arch, her foot seemed to jerk in his hands.

“Your legs are long and strong, like a runner. These thighs and hips,” he sighed with pleasure. “Don’t ever let me hear you say you’re trying to lose weight. These babies were made to cradle me, providing just the right cushioning. When you’re carrying our child, the wideness of these hips will be a blessing, ensuring a safe pregnancy and delivery for you and our babe.”

“This ass is a work of art. Makes me hard just looking at it.

High and tight with just the right amount of jiggle. Oh, yeah, baby. This thing speaks to me and it says,
Do me
!” He spent an extra long time working her globes, rubbing them up and down, rotating and separating the cheeks.

“I love this little dip in your back right before the swell of your ass. It’s so sexy. Makes me want to run my tongue down the length of your spine and linger here, savoring your flavor.” Before he was tempted to do just that, he moved on.

“Your back is strong and lean, shoulders broad. Some men don’t think wide shoulders are sexy on a woman. Fools. I appreciate them because I know what they support. Two handfuls of the most luscious breasts it’s ever been my fortune to witness. I could spend hours feasting on them. I can’t wait until they’re flowing with milk.” He paused for a moment to adjust the erection pressing against the zipper in his jeans.

His hands cradled her neck as his thumbs massaged the back of her nape. “This right here is long and slender as a swan.

It’s so graceful and elegant, but has so much attitude. I love how 107

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expressive you are. Your anger turns me on like you wouldn’t believe.”

He finished and, unable to resist, ran kisses down the indent of her spinal cord. “Hurry and wake, baby. We got a whole lot of lovin’ to make up for. Once I get in here,” he stroked his finger down her glistening slit, “I’m not coming out for a week, so you better be ready.”

Chad forced himself away from his mate’s prone body and put up the supplies he’d used. That task completed, he covered Tameka with the sheet and went and unlocked the door. Karen, one of the nurse’s aides, came and dropped off breakfast, and he ate while she changed the linens on the bed.

“I’d say another hour or so at the most and she should be out of it,” she told him.

“Good. I can’t wait.” He finished eating and laid down his fork.

“If you’re done, I can take this with me when I go. Save me a trip back to collect it later.”

“Sure, and thanks. Do you know if she’s scheduled for anymore tests or lab work?” he asked while she placed the dirty linens outside the door and then came back for his food tray.

“No. Now we just wait and see.” She gave him a reassuring smile.

“If that’s the case, I’m going to lie down and hold my mate.

It’s been way too long since I’ve been able to.” Karen’s brown eyes gleamed with suppressed amusement.

“I’m sure you’ll both enjoy it. I’ll tell the rest of the staff not to disturb you unless it’s completely necessary.” Chad gave a heartfelt sigh of relief. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“No problem.” She waved away his gratitude and left.

He slipped his shirt off his shoulders, laid it to the side and unbuttoned his jeans. He wanted to take them off, but he settled for loosing them instead. When he was as comfortable as he was going to get, he climbed onto the bed and gathered Tameka in his arms with her head lying on his chest. He made sure the cuff and monitor had plenty of leeway, and gave a small moan of pleasure as he relaxed against the pillow.

He pulled the covers over the both of them and lay there 108

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stroking her back. Before he knew it, the stress of the last few days caught up with him and he was out like a light.

* * * *

“Tameka, baby, no!” He placed his hands on the sides of her head and tried to pry her off of him.

She growled, low in her throat. Razor sharp teeth pressed against his erection as she raised eyes that glowed pure gold in warning. The message was clear. Back off and let her have her way, or risk losing a much valued part of his anatomy.

Being the smart man that he was, he quickly raised his hands in a sign of surrender.

She played with him, licking, sucking and slurping his cock like it was a big, frozen Popsicle she was trying to consume before it could melt outside in a hundred degree weather. Chad gritted his teeth, leashed his wolf, and held onto his passion with grim determination. He breathed a sigh of relief when she finally rose, licking her lips.

The sigh quickly morphed into a groan of apprehension as she climbed on top and impaled herself on his penis in one smooth motion.

He quickly reached out and clamped hard hands on her hips, ready to lift her off of him, no matter how much his body protested. “Meka, we need to stop. It’s too soon. You just came out of a coma, woman.”

“Mine,” she snarled gutturally. Her eyes flashed and she dug claws into his chest. “Chad, mine. All mine.” She lifted up and dropped back down.

Chad fought and lost a battle with his wolf as it came roaring to the forefront. His body shifted into its half-beast/half-man form as he growled back, “Mate want? Mate take.” She smiled, displaying a dainty row of lethally sharp teeth, and rode him hard enough to make the bed shake. His human 109

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part hoped no one stuck their head in the room to see what the commotion was. His wolf didn’t care. This was his mate and she was claiming him in the most primal of ways.

He felt her sheath contract violently right before she lowered her head and sank fangs into his chest, marking him.

Chad growled long and loud, gripped her hips with claws extended to hold her in place as he jack hammered up into her convulsing vagina. He lunged forward and sank his teeth into her right breast, marking her as she’d marked him, as his body expelled streams of cum into her waiting receptacle.

He licked the wounds so they would quickly heal before collapsing back on the bed. Tameka sprawled on top of him in a boneless heap. His wolf, supremely satisfied, slid back into the place in Chad’s soul where he resided. Now that he was himself again, concern for his mate overwhelmed him.

“Meka, baby. How you feeling? Was I too rough?” A soft snore was his response.

He chuckled ruefully. “Bit off a bit more than you could handle, huh? Rest, baby. I’m not going anywhere.” His jeans were toast. Tameka, the little she-wolf, had shredded the front of his jeans to get to her prize. With a goofy grin on his face, he reached down and tugged the covers over their joined hips. He was still hard and had no intention of leaving the haven she offered anytime soon.

A knock sounded at the door moments before Carol stuck her head inside. “Is it safe? We heard growling.” Her face was deadpan, but Chad thought he detected a naughty twinkle in her eyes that said she wasn’t the least bit surprised by what she was seeing. Of course, there was no hiding what they’d been doing with the scent of sex permeating the room.