“You were young, and in all honesty, I … I was afraid. You’d not gotten to know the world. You were a virgin. You were everything I feared to have in a mate, and as my female by my side, I needed someone strong, and I didn’t think you were that person. I didn’t think, Harper, I reacted, and I did so badly.”

  Harper knew it was no excuse, but it did make sense. She and Mateo were different ages. Their wolf genetics aged them differently, so he didn’t look a day over forty years old, and yet, she knew he was. While she was still just twenty-five years old.

  “So what you’re saying is you want me to go out and have random sex with guys so I’m no longer a virgin, and maybe have a bit more experience under my belt?” That had been her response, and she had loved his reaction.

  The growl of protest he released had sent her body racing. She loved how protective he had gotten and he’d taken a step toward her. His voice turned an octave darker, as he told her she belonged to him, and no one was taking what was his.

  It had been the first time she felt truly aroused by him.

  The last few days had been quite tough, because every time she looked at him, she thought about what he’d said and done. She liked it, and she didn’t want him to stop.

  Franny had asked her, and she’d talked it over with her friend.

  “Maybe it is time for you to forgive. Not forget, I wouldn’t ever recommend that, but I don’t know, it could work between the two of you, if you gave it a shot. He’s still here, even after you rejected him.”

  And now, on the day before the full moon, she was in the forest, in her favorite skirt and sleeveless shirt, staring up at the stars. Her wolf wanted him and deep down, Harper knew she wanted him as well.

  “I was looking for you,” Mateo said.

  At first, Harper thought she had imagined his voice out of thin air, but as she turned toward the sound, she saw Mateo was very much in the flesh.

  “Mateo,” she said.

  She went to get up, but he shook his head and sat down beside her.

  “How did you find me?” she asked.

  “I told Franny I wanted to come and see you, and she said more often than not, I would find you out in the forest on the day before the full moon. So, here I am. You come out here?”

  “Yeah, just to look at the full moon and enjoy its beauty. I won’t really get a chance to do that tomorrow.” She was more focused on letting her wolf out, and allowing her to have the run she craved.

  Tomorrow night, her wolf was in control. Tonight, she was.

  Mateo smelled so good.

  “True,” Mateo said. “I think there comes a point where you stop seeing the beauty of the full moon, and just … get used to it. Like that favorite piece of furniture you get. It is great to have, and you love it, but it somehow blends with everything.”

  Harper chuckled and glanced toward him.

  His eyes looked so striking tonight. She licked her lips and then took a deep breath. “Franny believes that when tomorrow night happens, there is not going to be any control. Even if we don’t want to, we’ll, uh, come together,” she said. “Is that right?”

  “I’ve spoken to my father and he agrees with Franny. The full moon, the power of the wolves, there is no stopping it. They’ll be in charge tomorrow.” He looked up at the moon while she kept staring at him.

  “Then … can we … do it tonight?” Harper asked. She felt her cheeks start to heat. “We already know we’re each other’s mate, and if you’re not going to leave the pack tomorrow, then I don’t want my first time to be done in a frenzy. I’d like to know that I made the decision to do it myself, and I’d like for it to be good.”

  “Harper?”

  “You can say no, and I guess while you’re here, it means I’ll be good to go and visit my parents. This is not me trying to blackmail you, even though it is starting to sound like it, I just … I want to be the one who is in charge of what I do and say. My first time shouldn’t be at the chaos of the full moon.”

  She didn’t want to beg.

  Harper began to pull away but Mateo gripped the back of her neck, pulling her in close, and before she could even ask him what he was doing, he took possession of her mouth. The first taste of him was exquisite.

  His lips were harder than hers, and he didn’t pull away, he kissed her harder, and she couldn’t hold back a gasp as he slid his tongue across her bottom lip. He plunged his tongue inside her mouth and Harper turned toward him, not wanting the kiss to end.

  ****

  Mateo had never been with a virgin before, and even though he felt that fear, he wasn’t going to stop. Harper was giving herself to him. He knew this was her last resort, but to him, this was his chance to start over.

  Carrying her over the threshold of her house, he didn’t let her go, and carried her upstairs toward her bedroom. He found her room by following the strong scent of her. Lowering her to her feet, he cupped her face.

  Words were not necessary. He refused to say anything that could fuck this up.

  This was his chance.

  And he took possession of her lips, and knew he’d gladly spend the rest of his life kissing this woman. He didn’t want to ever stop.

  Slowly, he slid his hands down toward her shirt hem. There were no buttons, so he glided down toward her sides, gripping the bottom of it, and then easing it up over her head, he tossed it to the side. The bra she wore was pale beige, and he saw the outline of her nipples. He felt an answering pulse in his cock.

  He’d not been with a woman for so long. Longer then seven years. There had been a couple of women in his pack who had tried to vie for his attention, but he’d ignored them. The only person he was interested in was Harper.

  Mateo hadn’t even realized she was the woman he wanted, the one person who answered to his very soul.

  He didn’t want to give her up.

  Instead of going for the bra, he went to the skirt and eased it down her hips, allowing it to drop to the floor. He found her matching panties, and this made him ache for her. The scent of her pussy was making his mouth water, and all he wanted to do was press his face against her cunt, to breathe her in.

  He had a sudden desire to cover her with his scent, just as he wanted to bask in hers. There was nothing stopping them either.

  Moving her toward the edge of the bed, he knew as Harper’s first time, he was going to cause her pain, which wasn’t ideal.

  First, he wanted to make her mindless with pleasure, to make her pussy soaking wet so that when he was ready to finally claim her as his own, she’d be more than ready. He eased her onto the bed, and the temptation to tear her panties off was strong, but he gave himself the satisfaction of removing them slowly, tugging them down her legs. He tossed them onto the pile of her clothes, and then pulled her toward the edge of the bed, and putting his hands at her knees, slowly he spread her thighs.

  He stared at her virgin cunt.

  His virgin pussy.

  Harper hadn’t been with anyone. She was never going to be with anyone but him. Knowing that was a heady sensation, one he didn’t want to give up.

  His cock hardened even more, and it was becoming more painful in his pants, but he ignored it and instead focused on the sensations building within him.

  Running his hands up her body, he pressed each thumb to the lips of her sex, and slowly opened her. Her clit was swollen, and he saw she was already aroused. The scent was making his mouth water for a taste.

  He made sure she was at the edge of the bed, and then he closed the distance and finally gave in to the temptation he’d been holding back from. He just couldn’t resist pushing his face against her cunt. Sliding his tongue through her creamy slit as he went to her clit, teasing the swollen bud. The light touches he gave her, the moans escaped her mouth, turning him on even more. She cried out his name, and that sound was fucking magical.

  Mateo took the whole of her clit into his mouth, and he growled against her naked flesh as he tasted her.

  “You feel so fucking good,” he said, unable to deny himself.

  He moved his hands from between her thighs, sliding them beneath her ass, and holding her open, as he licked and sucked at her cunt. She was exquisite. Tasty.

  He focused on her clit, stroking the nub, feeling the change inside her as he began to draw her closer toward orgasm. Mateo didn’t know if he should let her come so easily, or if he should make her beg him for more. He continued to play with her clit, and he didn’t want to torture her.

  Harper deserved her orgasm, and he’d denied her that for seven long years. He thrust her over the edge, and the sounds she made would stay with him forever. They were one of contentment, filled with pleasure, and that was how he was going to keep her. In time, Harper would start to fall for him, but for now, he could give her all the pleasure her body desired.

  After her first orgasm, he didn’t stop licking at her cunt. He drew her into a second orgasm, and this time, he moved them both up the bed, climbing between her spread legs and settling between them.

  Her body was still pulsing, and he opened that connection between their wolves, and hers didn’t hate him, at least not in that moment. Mateo didn’t want to spoil it, but he knew the only way to keep Harper was to forge a bond with her.

  Sex was one way to start the bond of mating, and in time he would get her to fall in love with him.

  Reaching between them, he gripped his cock and lined the tip up to her entrance, and staring into her intense, pleasure-filled brown eyes, he thrust hard and deep, tearing through the wall of her virginity.

  Chapter Ten

  Harper woke up and knew everything had changed.

  She was still the same woman, but she was different. Last night had been the worst and best experience of her life. Mateo taking her virginity hadn’t been … fun. The moment he thrust inside her, the pain had shocked her to her core, and she’d tensed up. Part of her had been tempted to call an end to their night of passion, but something held her back.

  Mateo had not forced her, but he’d held himself still within her, giving her a chance to become accustomed to the feel of him. No words were spoken.

  The tears had fallen, but they had been so fleeting, as had the pain, and she’d been the one to start moving her hips, wanting Mateo to make love to her. No, not make love, but to fuck her.

  Opening her eyes, Harper stared toward the curtain that was partially open, allowing some of the morning sunshine to spill into the room.

  Mateo was still in her bed. She sensed him close, but she didn’t know if he was asleep or awake.

  After their first time, Mateo had been the perfect gentleman, and like she’d read in so many of her books, he’d taken care of her, which had made her love him just a little.

  She wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but it had been amazing. They shared a bath, and Mateo had been so attentive, and once they arrived in her room, he’d pulled her into his arms and whispered that he was now going to show her just how good it could be. At first, she’d been shocked. She had tensed up, but there hadn’t been any pain or discomfort.

  It had been perfect, the way she had always hoped it would be. She couldn’t believe how long she had waited for this very moment.

  “How are you feeling?”

  Harper turned her head to see Mateo was already awake. He’d moved onto his elbow, resting his head in his hand, watching her.

  “I didn’t know you were awake.”

  “I watched you wake up.”

  “You watched me.”

  “I might have been watching you sleep for the last half hour.”

  “What time is it?” she asked.

  “A little after six-thirty.”

  “Oh.” She became aware that the blanket was at her waist, and her breasts were on display.

  Mateo reached out, putting his hand at her waist. “How are you feeling?”

  “I don’t know,” she said.

  He frowned.

  She chuckled. “It … feels strange.” She rolled over and Mateo didn’t let her go. He kept his hand on her side. She pushed some of her hair out of the way. “I’m not … angry or upset. Is that normal?”

  “I hope so,” he said.

  “You’ve been with women before.” The moment she said it, she pressed her lips together, because she hated the thought of him being with any other woman. The jealousy took her by surprise.

  Years ago, Franny had asked her what she would think if Mateo was with another woman at that very moment, all those years ago, and she’d responded that she didn’t care. She had meant it. Her anger and feel of betrayal had been so acute that she didn’t think for a second she would care if he’d been with another woman. Yet, now, the very thought of him being with anyone was enough to tense her up.

  “I’ve not been with a woman in a long time,” Mateo said.

  “How long?” she asked.

  Harper didn’t know if she even wanted the answer. What if she visited her whole pack and she smelled Mateo on other women? Would she hurt them? It would certainly give him a good reason to banish her if she did attack them.

  This was insane. She had never felt this way and she quickly sat up.

  “Before your transition,” Mateo said.

  This made her turn back toward him. “Huh?”

  “I’ve not been with a woman since before your transition.”

  She frowned. “You’ve not had anyone since?”

  “No.”

  “But … how?”

  “Harper, I may have banished you and rejected you, but it didn’t stop you from being my mate. There was no other woman, and there is not going to be any other woman. You’re my mate, no one else.”

  She stared at him in shock. “There wasn’t any other man for me either.”

  “Good, but I did already know that. Either way, if there had been, I would have to kill any other man you had been with.”

  Harper felt her wolf was close, and she wanted to close the small distance between her and Mateo. She didn’t fight it and slid closer to him, reaching out of her own volition, and gripping the back of his neck.

  Mateo moved closer, and when his lips were on hers, Harper groaned. He gripped her hip, and she didn’t know how they were able to do it, but one moment she was sitting by his side, kissing him, and in the next, she was straddling his waist, wrapping her arms around his neck, and feeling the hard length of him press against her core. She wanted him inside her, and she reached down, acting without question. She needed him inside her.

  Mateo growled as she wrapped her fingers around his length, and with his help, she guided him inside her.

  Like their second time the previous night, this didn’t hurt. She was already so wet that he slid in deep.

  His grip went to her hips, and he tightened on her, drawing her down onto his length. She cried out as with the last inch, he drew her down against his body with a slap of their flesh. It sounded so good, echoing around the walls.

  “Oh, fuck, you feel so good,” he said.

  Harper pulled back just a little, and Mateo ran his hands up her body, cupping her tits, playing with them before pulling her in closer. She watched as he took one nipple into his mouth, and she felt the answering pulse between her thighs.

  He wasn’t too rough as he moved between each nipple. When he used his teeth, she cried out, but at no point did she want him to stop. She gripped his shoulders and began to move up and down his length, feeling him inside her. He was so large. So thick. And Harper didn’t want to stop as she felt that answering pleasure.

  “That’s it, baby,” he said. “Fuck my cock.”

  He let go of her tits, going back to her hips, and Mateo picked up the pace, showing her exactly what he wanted. Harper didn’t know it could be this way.

  They could have been having this for seven years, but she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind, and instead focused on what they did have right now. She wasn’t going to lose that.

  One of Mateo’s hands left her hips, and he reached between them. He started to stroke her clit, and Harper stopped. One touch of her clit, and she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip. The pleasure was out of this world and with him inside her, it felt even better than the night before. Harper didn’t think it was possible to feel this good. Even her wolf was in a state of pleasure.

  Something was changing between them. Deep down, Harper knew they had started to mate with one another, and it did terrify her a little, but it felt too good to deny.

  ****

  The whole pack was tense.

  For Mateo, that was the first thing he noticed that was different on the day of the full moon. Franny was already waiting outside the shop. Some places were already closed.

  “Why do they close?” he asked.

  “Some people like to enjoy the whole day preparing for tonight,” Harper said.

  He didn’t know if she even realized it, but they were holding hands, and she had yet to shrug him off. They’d left her home, and as soon as they cleared the front yard, he’d grabbed her hand, pulling her close.

  His wolf couldn’t stand any distance between them, and was constantly trying to get as close to Harper as possible. There was no way Mateo would let her go. Not after having a taste of her last night.

  He’d enjoyed and hated taking Harper’s virginity. From this point on, there wasn’t going to be a moment when he wouldn’t attempt to make it up to her.

  “I see you two finally worked out your differences,” Franny said. In her hand were three coffees, and he scented the cinnamon buns already. He’d come to realize cinnamon was Harper’s favorite sweet treat.

  “The coffee shop is still open?”

  “Yeah, only a couple of places close today,” Franny said.

  Harper let them into the shop. While she wasn’t looking, Franny gave him a thumbs-up and a thumbs-down, looking at him in question, and all he could do was shrug. He had no idea if last night was the start of something great. For him, it was. He didn’t know how Harper felt.

  Franny rolled her eyes, and then forced a smile to her lips as Harper turned toward them.

  “I know what my job is,” Mateo said. “I’m checking the stock that came in last night, and you were a little pissed with how they dropped off the order. I’m already on it.” He took his coffee and package of cinnamon buns, and made his way into the stockroom.

 

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