Evangelina Green (28 page)

He grinned but it was obviously through a
lot of pain. Lina moved like lightning and was cradling his head in
her lap tenderly touching her lips to his.

“
I love you, Keaton, but I
am
so
gonna make
you pay for making me think you were dead! Oh God, Keaton, what
were you thinking? Shit! Shit! Shit! What would I do without
you?”

Lina was trembling and tears were running
down her downy cheeks but she held onto him, gently, kissing his
lips, face and stroking the top of his head. It was just about the
only place on his body that was uninjured.

"Angel, I am not leaving you that easily.
You’re stuck with me, forever and ever."

He pulled himself up to
capture her lips in one
hot
kiss. Netta rolled her eyes and began dressing
his wounds.

"He doesn’t look too bad, except for a few
gashes here and there. They’ll heal quickly with our physiology but
with stitches and bandages and some TLC, he’ll heal faster." Jason
summed it up and went to dress.

The drive back seemed to go faster, mostly
because Keaton wouldn't let loose and kept touching her, kissing
her face, neck, ears, and basically making her feel loved, wanted
and hot! Jason turned from the front and groused.

"Hey! You two! You
are
not
alone
here, so cool it! You can wait just a little while. We’re almost
home”

***

Over the next week Keaton healed and Lina
hovered. At first he thought it was sweet, however now he was about
to come out of his skin.

"I’m completely healed, Angel, I don’t need
to be spoon fed, and although I really enjoyed the sponge baths, I
can shower on my own, unless..." He waggled his eyebrows at her as
he sat to tie his shoes.

Lina was making up the bed and straightened
up. "Keaton, you were severely injured and although you’ve
recovered enough to show me what a man you are..."

"Several times." Keaton interrupted.

"Yes, love. You are
amazing and you know it. You’re my
manly
wolf
...or wait...is that
backwards...my
wolfee
man
?”

She grinned an impish grin, knowing he’d
taken the bait.

"
Wolfee
? Did you really just call
me
Wolfee
again?"
He was separated from her by the king-sized bed so he crawled
across slowly, in her direction with his own evil grin. "You know,
we never really finished the mating?”

She backed up a step. "What? How?"

"There’s the small matter of uhhhh...well,
an exchange of blood...through biting.”

Shit. He realized he'd
made a huge mistake, because he had forgotten to tell her. Yeah,
right. Forgot. Uh huh. The friendly kidding mood was gone.
Damnit
. He really needed
to think before speaking.

"What! Biting? You've got to be kidding
me?”

He shook his head, stopped half way across
the bed, sat back, looked deep into her eyes and asked her an
important question.

"How many kids do you want, Lina?”

Lina hadn’t thought about a family, other
than her sisters and was blind-sided by his question.

“
I...we never...can I even
have your children? I mean, I want your children. But is it
possible with me being a human?”

He bowed his head. "No, we cannot have
children unless we complete the mating. I should have told you
before, but unil the mating bites, we can’t…well…we won’t be fully
mated.”

Lina jumped onto the bed beside him and
threw her arms around his neck. "Does this biting involve sex?”

He put her away at arm’s length and again,
looking deeply into her eyes. "Lina my heart, if I bite you and you
accept my bite, you’ll change into… what I am… and you’ll want to
bite me back."

She leaned back looking him in the eye.

"...and?"

He pushed his meaty hand
through his thick mane of hair.
Oh yeah.
Sexy!
She grinned and remembered their
first grin-fest. That had only been a few weeks ago? Yet she
couldn’t deny she loved him deeply, truly, down deep in her bones.
But he was hiding something from her.

"Just tell me Keaton. I trust you.” With
that admission, he drew her to him and held her tightly.

"I can't tell you how much
that means to me. How much
you
mean to me. I would die for you, but I would
truly die
without
you. You are my heart. "

She drew back from his iron hold to see one
tear gently falling down his face. She leaned in and kissed his
eyes, totally feeling sappy and emotional and she wouldn’t have it
any other way.

"Tell me love." She faced him bravely even
though she was quivering inside.

"You will change, Lina! You will become wolf
like me! I love you, Angel, and I want to be with you forever but I
cannot, and will not, ask you to change for me."

He buried his head in her shoulder and
lightly kissed her neck. Lina shivered at his touch as always but
more so at the thought of truly being Keaton’s mate in all the wild
and wooly connotations.

"Will it hurt? The bite? And when I change,
does that hurt?”

"What are you saying, Angel? You can’t be
serious?"

He held his breath.

"Well...we can’t make babies just talking
about it! I love you more than life, Keaton. I want you and all
that comes with it, and that means a house full of little wolves.
You’ll make a wonderful father.”

He gave his heart to her with his kiss and
she knew she’d made the right decision.

Like there was any
other?
This time she agreed with her inner
voice.

They held each other for what seemed like
hours. It turned to love making without a thought, long, slow, and
tender love. But as their passion rose to a fever pitch, Keaton
nuzzled her neck where it meets her shoulder, one of her favorite
spots. She tasted of sweat and her special taste of sugared
lemon.

"Are you sure, love?” He licked her neck.
She was writhing.

"Oh God, Keaton! Yes. Make me like you. Make
me your mate. Make me completely and totally…yours."

He continued kissing her neck as he turned
her over onto her knees. She was so aroused she never noticed. He
had two free hands to tease her until she screamed. One plucking
her nipples hard as berries making her arch her back. The other
hand was stroking through her wet flesh, teasing her clit, stoking
her hot channel while he rocked against her, his hard, tasty cock
skimming over her...just not quite there...not what she was begging
for.

Sweet torture! She was so wet, she felt
warmth running down her thighs. He entered her with one powerful
thrust making them both moan. He began his slow punishment by
dragging himself almost completely out of her then pounding fully
back in. She loved the way he made her feel as if he couldn’t wait
to have her and when he finally entered her, he made it seem as if
was the first time and he’d died and gone to heaven.

He licked and nipped his
way up her back to her shoulder again, where he bit into her soft
skin and tasted her blood on his lips. He
had
gone to heaven! His growl and
groan accented her pleasure. Lina’s back bowed with his
bite.
O.M.G.!
She
thought her other orgasms were special?
This was the big "O" …times a thousand!
She could feel what he felt. Amazing! His stroking was
becoming more thrusting, and it became faster, turning into
pounding, as his breathing shortened. She felt his love all over
her. She could hear faint whispers of his voice in her
head.

I love her so much! She’s all mine! How can
I ever repay her for this love and her trust, and oh my God, her
body! I am her first and she gave herself to me? I don't deserve
her.

She inhaled his essence
and gave his hand a warm, wet lick. He stiffened and moaned his
delight. She loved how the simplest gesture of tenderness caused
his moans and oh those growls… Sexy! She concentrated, trying to
think so he could hear her thoughts. Which was
very
difficult to do with his
pumping so hard and deep.

I love this man so much, it almost hurts. I
don’t deserve this gorgeous, thoughtful, sexy, sweet man. But,
'momma didn’t raise no fool.' I will take him, mate him and love
him. I will give him babies and stand beside him and behind him, no
matter what.

She turned to his hand
again, kissed her way up to his shoulder. This man was hers, all
hers. So she bit him! Keaton howled and pumped harder and faster
just three more times, enough for both of them. Then he poured his
seed into her throbbing womb. They lay together touching and
talking and loving the rest of the night. It was the best eight
hours of Lina’s life. She was in love with an amazing
man...and
he
loved
her
!
Amazing.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Another month went by before they had any
major mishaps or problems. Thank God, because they all needed the
peace. Victor checked in with Lina but the visits weren’t as often
as they would have liked. Apparently, he was beginning to weaken
and that could be a major problem. They had counted on his skills
and magic to help him and Tashi escape.

Keaton had leads and felt he was closing-in
to their location, but the rogues were causing trouble and he had
to deal with them more and more often. Lina could see the stress he
was under—being pulled in so many directions at once. He stayed for
her. He needed to focus on the rogues. He wanted to help find
Tashi. She made a difficult decision.

"Keaton love, I need to talk with you. You
have to leave.”

He’d been painting the completed clinic and
with her words, stopped in mid-stroke, turned slowly.

"What?"

"I said you have to leave.” She stood stock
still, waiting for his response.

"Why?" He crossed his muscled arms across
his naked, hairy chest. She walked to him, open armed. He opened
his and surrounded her in his scent and cloaked her in his
love.

"Because you’re dying
here. This isn’t what you should be doing? Painting? For God’s
sake! I need you to be
you
, not what you think I want you
to be. You need to leave and keep your vow, as Alpha to the pack,
our pack and maybe somehow that will help us find Tashi. And
Victor, of course."

He grinned. "Of course."

"I’m serious wolfboy! This domestic crap
ain’t your style!” She used her best Jason imitation.

"You are my mate...” was his only
response.

"Yes, love. And you are my mate, my soul
mate, and more. But as your mate, I must also think of your
well-being and this is not good for you."

"You're everything to me. Anything I do is
for you, and is what's best for me.”

"Bullshit! Oh, Keaton, you
wonderful, loving man, don’t you see? I’m miserable and very
unhappy. You are causing me pain and I’m asking you to let
me
, help
you
, make me happy...I
think...oh hell…I’m not sure what I mean. And before you say a
word, let me finish with, I love you too much to let you
stay."

He stood rooted to the floor. No emotion
showing on his face. Even though now fully mated, they could
usually hear each other’s thoughts but his were blocked. Lina began
to worry. Had she gone too far? No. He loved her. But maybe he was
having second thoughts? Was she being selfish? God as her witness,
she loved him so deeply, she’d die for him right this moment if it
gave him the freedom he so desperately needed. Her heart almost
beat out of her chest as she anxiously waited for him to say
something...anything!

"I love you more than my own life, Angel.
You're right and yet you're wrong. Yes, I do need to stop the
rogues. Yes, we need to find your sister. Oh yeah, and Victor.” He
grinned.

"But you’re way off track and totally wrong
if you think I don’t want to be here, doing just this and watching
your face as you think of ways to set me free."

"Will you leave?”

"Yes." It was that simple.

Lina sighed with relief and sank further
into his arms.

"Thank you." Then she laughed against his
warm chest. “I never thought I’d thank the love of my life for
leaving me.”

***

Keaton filled his backpack that night. It
was more of a saddlebag, specially made for the wolves. When he had
to shift, it would fit him and not be lost. Watching him pack was
difficult. He would be leaving in less than twelve hours. As much
as Lina wanted him to stay, she needed him to leave.

It was bittersweet. As was the love they
shared that night. Slow, romantic, candle lit, romance was called
for this evening. Chilled champagne sat by for them, when they
could let go of each other long enough to drink.

Lina was enjoying a back rub with scented
oil, when he began teasing her using his magic fingers. He pulled
her up to her knees and entered her easily.

"Lina!"
His trusts were hard and deep and the sound of
his pounding, slapping against her soft behind was almost musical.
She couldn’t stop herself from pushing back with each stroke into
her. Her orgasm built to a fever pitch and just before she wrapped
him the hot vice of her inner muscles, he bit her. As he growled
his delight at her taste, her blood filling his mouth with pure
Lina, she exploded and pulled him deeper.