Protective Mate Read online

  For their safety, the newly single Lost Souls females would now have different accommodations. Zane and Jackie had volunteered to guard them in her old house. Lucien felt his females would feel safer with Zane’s familiar face around. He also hoped they would see what true mates were like, a loving couple deeply devoted to each other.

  It was late and the seven newly single former Lost Souls females were anxious about their new accommodations. Lucien walked over to the group of females huddled together. Their whispering stopped as he stepped closer. Nervous, they turned to face him.

  “Lanie, my mate, thinks you would be more comfortable away from your former mates. I have arranged for you to stay in Jackie’s old house.”

  They blinked, cautiously saying nothing.

  “Jackie is Zane’s mate,” Lucien reminded them.

  “Oh.”

  “Of course,”

  “That’s right.”

  “Ah,” several females replied at once.

  “Kane and Harley will escort you to Jackie’s.” He nodded to Kane and Harley and they walked over to the group.

  The females’ eyes widened at Kane’s scarred face and they looked away. Keeping his distance, Kane clenched his jaw and crossed his arms as he stood near the group. Harley stepped closer, smiled and addressed the group.

  “Don’t worry Ladies, you’re in good hands with us. Kane and I will take you home then patrol outside. You’ll be completely safe at Jackie’s.”

  Harley’s charming smile and calm demeanor instantly put them at ease.

  “Jackie and Zane will stay with you tonight,” Lucien stated. “If you need anything, please let them know.”

  The ladies nodded in response.

  “Let’s go, Ladies,” Harley said.

  Still a little nervous about their new accommodations, they followed Harley out of Rae’s. Kane followed the group, staying far behind in an effort to alleviate their nervousness.

  It was a short but pleasant walk to from Rae’s to Jackie’s old house. Harley walked up to the lovely Victorian house and rang the bell. A few minutes later, Jackie opened the door, blushing furiously. The buttons on her shirt were not lined up, suggesting she had hurriedly buttoned her shirt. Harley grinned at her disheveled appearance. Winking, he said, “I hope Zane is decent.”

  Just then, Zane walked up behind her. He looked at the group of women, searching for someone.

  “Delia found her mate, Zane,” Sue Ann informed him quietly.

  “She did?” Zane was astonished. He smiled suddenly, happy that Delia had found her true mate.

  “That’s great, Sue Ann. I’m sorry the rest of you didn’t find your mates tonight.”

  He slipped an arm around Jackie, pulling her close to him.

  “This is my mate, Jackie.”

  “Hello Jackie.”

  “Hi.”

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “How are you?” several of the women said at the same time.

  “Please, come in,” said Jackie as she smiled, welcoming them to their new home.

  Once everyone was inside, Zane locked the door and joined them in the living room.

  “It’s a four bedroom house, so you’ll have to double up. Angie, one of the maids at the inn, delivered your bags earlier. We took them up to your rooms,” Jackie informed them.

  “Relax. This isn’t some trick. Lucien and his pack are nothing like Murdock. He could have had me killed on sight for killing Sean, but he didn’t. He talked to me and learned the truth about what happened. Murdock would never have done that,” stated Zane. “Lucien could have refused to let me claim Jackie as my mate, but he didn’t. Do you know what he did instead?”

  They nodded, curious about their new alpha.

  “He invited me into his home and offered us his private cabin. He gave us time to work through our...issues. He gave me a chance, a real chance at happiness.”

  Zane turned to gaze at Jackie. His love for her was unmistakable. Jackie smiled and moved to stand by him, slipping her arm around his waist.

  “It was exactly what we needed,” Jackie said softly.

  “Yes it was,” Zane agreed as he lowered his head and kissed Jackie.

  The females watched enviously as Zane kissed his mate tenderly. None of them were used to gentle touches or public displays of affection. A few of them began to wonder what it would be like to find their true mates.

  Zane’s wolf eyes flashed at Jackie as he scented her arousal. Her wolf eyes flashed brightly before she reluctantly turned away from him.

  Zane forced himself to address the females in his care. The sooner he got them settled, the sooner he could fuck Jackie.

  “Jackie will take you upstairs. I promise you, your males won’t come near you. Kane and Harley are patrolling outside and I will be on guard downstairs. None of the Lost Souls males can get past either Soldier. But if they do, they won’t get past me.”

  They saw his wolf eyes flash and they felt reassured. They knew they could trust Zane to protect them.

  Quietly they turned and followed Jackie upstairs. While Jackie showed them their rooms, Zane pulled out the air mattress, plugged it in and inflated it on the living room floor. He spread their bed and took off his shirt, tossing it onto the couch.

  Jackie returned to the living room and stopped to admire Zane’s bare chest. She bit her lip.

  “Zane, maybe we shouldn’t.”

  Zane raised a brow.

  “We have a house full of guests. What if they come downstairs?”

  “Then I guess they’ll get quite a show. Strip, Jackie,” he demanded as he unbuttoned his jeans.

  “Zane....”

  “Your scent is driving me crazy. You need to be fucked, Jackie. I will take care of your need, mate. Now get undressed...or do you want me to undress you?” he asked with a wicked smile.

  Jackie shook her head adamantly. If he stripped her, her clothes would be in shreds. Quickly she undressed and joined Zane on their bed.

  Sue Ann, Mila, Jezebel and Tori quietly walked down the stairs. They stood on the staircase, frozen as they heard Jackie, her voice a bit agitated.

  “Don’t Zane! I mean it!”

  The females exchanged glances, worried for Jackie. Could they have been wrong about Zane? Was he hurting his mate?

  “St-st-stop it!” Jackie demanded between fits of laughter.

  “Za-Zane, please!”

  Zane chuckled as he ran his fingers along Jackie’s side. She pushed his hands away, giggling as he tickled her with his other hand. Smiling, he moved swiftly to her feet. Kneeling, he lifted her legs apart and leaned down. He placed a soft kiss on her pubic hair and Jackie stopped giggling. He spread her gently and licked her clit. His tongue slid downward, found her channel and plunged inside.

  “Oh, Zane!”

  The females blushed as they listened to Zane and Jackie’s enthusiastic coupling. Judging from the groans and moans, Jackie enjoyed her mate’s touch. By the time Zane found his release inside of his mate, the females were flushed and panting. Not wanting to advertise their presence, quietly they turned and went back upstairs.

  ~ Chapter Four ~

  Nicolai held her hand as he led Delia to her new home. She allowed him to carry her over the threshold, because he asked nicely and it seemed to mean something to him. Once inside, he set her down and gave her a brief tour, ending in their bedroom.

  “We are mates, so I expect you to sleep in our bed. I will not touch you until you are ready, Delia. Even then, I will only do as you wish, no further.”

  Feeling brave, Delia asked in a whisper, “What would you do?”

  Surprised at her bold question, he thought for a moment and answered, “I would undress you slowly, then pick you up and carry you to our bed. I would kiss you tenderly, caress your breasts. Suck on your nipples.”

  Her nipples tightened at the thought of his mouth there, sucking her as he had her fingers earlier that evening.

  Nicolai noted her arousal, his eyes dark
ening as he continued.

  “I would touch you between your legs. I would rub your clit until you became wet for me.”

  He paused and took a deep breath to steady himself.

  “Then I would slide my finger inside of you.” His voice was now a harsh whisper, thick with desire.

  “I would pull it out slowly and lick it, tasting you.”

  She gasped, surprised at how wet she had become, how desperately she wanted his finger inside of her. A sudden ache began to spread from between her legs to her womb, which tightened in anticipation.

  “Then I would spread your legs and lick you. I would taste you, all of you. Bury my tongue deep inside of you. Use my mouth and hands to give you the best orgasm you ever had.”

  She moaned with need and held onto the bedpost, her knees suddenly turning into globs of jelly.

  “Would you like that, Delia?”

  Nicolai held his breath, hoping she would let him.

  Delia couldn’t speak. She was too full of need. Her male had never satisfied her, would never do that to her. She ached for her mate’s touch. But she was afraid of what he would demand in return.

  “Delia? Let me touch you. Let me pleasure you. That’s all I want.” She looked at him uncertainly.

  “You just want to touch me? You don’t want me to…? What about you?” He barely heard her soft whisper.

  “I won’t lie to you. I ache for your touch, Delia. You can touch me any way you wish, any part of me. I would never deny you. My body is yours.” He swallowed and continued, “It would give me great pleasure to satisfy my mate. I want nothing in return, Delia. I want to earn your trust. Let me taste you, Delia. Please?”

  How could she resist when he begged her to let him do that? Trembling with need, she nodded.

  Nicolai slowly walked over to his mate, afraid she would change her mind. He turned her around gently so she faced the bed. He unzipped her dress, kissing her back as he lowered the zipper. He straightened and pushed the top of her dress over her shoulders. It pooled at her feet. He wrapped an arm around her belly and kissed her shoulder. He rubbed his face against her shoulder, inhaling her scent. He released her and unhooked her bra, removed it and dropped it onto the floor. His hands reached around her and caressed her breasts.

  He tugged gently on her nipples, squeezed her breasts. One hand continued to massage her breast as the other traveled down her belly. Moving over her panties, he pressed down on a spot right between her legs and rubbed it gently. His other hand held her hip steady as he rubbed his erection against her bottom. She whimpered and bit her lip, held onto the bedpost to keep from bending over.

  “Nicolai…,” Delia pleaded.

  He stopped rubbing against her bottom and took several deep breaths. Calming down a little, he pulled her panties down, picked her up and carried her to their bed. He set her down on the edge of the bed and pushed her back gently.

  She looked up at him, standing between her legs. He leaned over her and kissed her mouth. Electricity jolted through her body as his mouth moved over hers. His tongue stroked hers and he gently bit her bottom lip. Desire shot like lightning through her body, from her lip straight down to her womb.

  Placing gentle kisses on her face, he worked his way to her neck. He sucked on a spot on her neck as she held his head, arching into him. She never knew her neck would be so sensitive, would cause her to ache for him. He had barely touched her and already she was burning with desire. He moved to her breasts and took one in his hot mouth, sucking hard. His fingers rolled the other nipple, tugging gently.

  “Nicolai, please…”

  “Do you want me, Delia? Do you want me to taste you? To lick your sweet pussy? To put my tongue deep inside of you?”

  “Oh God, Yes!”

  He chuckled and kissed his way down her belly. He knelt on the floor and spread her legs. He rubbed his nose on her pubic hair, enjoying the distinctive smell of her arousal. Using his thumbs to spread her open, he licked her once, twice. Found her clit and sucked on it. He used one finger to rub her clit as he pushed his tongue inside her. She moaned loudly and held his head, pushing him down further.

  He pushed his tongue as deep as it would go, moving it in and out as he would his cock. She writhed, clutching the sheets on their bed. He moved his mouth back onto her clit and sucked while he pushed his middle finger deep inside of her. In and out, in and out, a rhythm that had her hips bucking up against his mouth and fingers, trying to draw him deeper inside of her.

  “Another one please…,” she begged him for another finger.

  As soon as he added a second finger, she orgasmed. Her body exploded and Delia thought she was dying. Her muscles squeezed his fingers and her body jerked upwards several times as she yelled out a deep, throaty, “Ohhhhhh!”

  She closed her eyes and lay back on the bed, breathing heavily, enjoying her first orgasm. Nicolai was right, it was the best orgasm she had ever had.

  Nicolai looked up at his mate, smiling contentedly. He unzipped his pants and freed his aching cock. He stroked himself and groaned. She opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly, knowing he was in need.

  “I need to take care of this…I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He got up and walked to the shower.

  Nicolai turned on the shower and reached for the shower gel. His cock was so hard, it was almost too painful to touch. Slathering gel onto his hands, he braced one hand on the shower wall and leaned forward, cock in hand. He began stroking himself, thinking of how he touched his mate. How he had tasted her. How Delia had begged him to satisfy her. And what he would do to her in the future. What he hoped she would do to him. His body jerked and he spurted all over the shower wall.

  Nicolai washed up and went back to bed, astonished to see his mate in distress.

  “Are you angry with me?”

  Delia didn’t scent anger, but that never stopped her male from hurting her before.

  “Delia…I…No, I’m not angry with you. I told you I didn’t expect you to fuck me.” Nicolai sat down on the bed. “I needed to show you that you can trust me. You had a need and I satisfied it. I wanted you badly, Delia. You saw just how much I wanted to be inside you, but I held back. I didn’t force or coerce you. It was damn hard to walk away from you, but your trust is far more important than my need.” He took a deep breath and continued, “Do you trust me not to hurt you, Delia? Trust me to care for you, take care of your needs?”

  Delia thought for a moment then nodded. Nicolai had pleasured her and asked for nothing in return. He didn’t hurt, berate or humiliate her. Is this what mates are supposed to be like? A little bit of hope grew in her heart. She prayed this wasn’t a dream, that she wouldn’t wake up and find herself back with the other male.

  Nicolai stretched out on the bed, arms wide open. Delia smiled shyly and snuggled against him. Nicolai held his mate as they fell asleep.

  Outside their window, perched on a tree, a dark figure seethed. Through a small gap between the curtains, he had watched as the man touched his female. He was utterly shocked that he had tasted her and didn’t fuck her in return. He was stunned when she smiled at the man who claimed to be her mate. The Bitch had never smiled at him after he fucked her. Not once! He punched the tree angrily, bit his lips at the sharp pain that indicated he might have broken a few fingers.

  ~ Chapter Five ~

  Delia woke up the next morning slightly confused at her surroundings. Then she remembered. She was in her true mate’s home. Her home. Nicolai’s arm curved around her waist and she could feel his entire length pressed along her back. Even breathing suggested he was still asleep. Slipping out of bed quietly, so she didn’t wake him, she hunted through the drawers to find something to wear. She showered and dressed in one of his shirts and a pair of his boxers. She would have to get her things later today.

  Delia went downstairs, found the kitchen and began making breakfast. For the first time in many years, she delighted in making a meal for her mate. She hummed as she cooked bacon
, scrambled eggs, toasted some bread.

  The aroma of coffee was too difficult to resist. Nicolai opened his eyes, surprised to find his mate standing there with a tray.

  That he didn’t expect her to make him breakfast made her fall in love with him just a little bit more. Nicolai sat up, propping up pillows behind him. She placed the tray across his lap then joined him on the other side of the bed. They enjoyed breakfast in bed, feeding each other small bites of toast, sharing berries.

  When they finished breakfast, she picked up the tray, noticing the way the sheet tented.

  “Don’t worry about it, Delia. I’ll take care of it,” Nicolai said softly.

  Delia placed the tray on the floor by her side of the bed and turned to Nicolai. He had pulled back the sheet and was standing up. She reached out and grabbed his hand.

  “Come back to bed, please?”

  “Honey, I really think I should—”

  “Let me do this for you. I want to.”

  Nicolai returned to their bed, pulled out the bottle of lotion from his night stand and gave it to her. He stretched out next to her, hands behind his head.

  Delia looked at her mate in the morning light. She traced his lips with her fingers. Delia leaned over and kissed him shyly. She ran her hand across his chest, caressing first one nipple then the other. Her mouth followed, sucking gently, carefully nipping one with her teeth, sucking harder on the other. His hand held her head lightly, caressed her hair as she continued sucking on his nipples. One hand traveled lower, over his stomach and held his erect cock. Her mouth followed her hand, placing small kisses as she moved down toward his cock.

  “Delia, you don’t have to—”

  His words were cut off as she licked the head of his cock. He forgot how to speak as she kissed his cock from head to base then licked her way back up again. Her mouth circled the head of his cock and she sucked. Her hand stroked his cock from the base to her mouth as she gently sucked the head. She moved her tongue all around the tip, tracing the ridge around it. The other hand gently touched his sac, rubbing, rolling, squeezing gently. Delia used her mouth and hands on him, sucking, licking, stroking until he cried out, “Delia!” and she raised her head, watched him spurt all over her arm, his thighs, their bed.