Once Upon A Time (16 page)

We still slept
me under covers and he above them, but a part of me wanted that
barrier to be gone. I wanted to feel him closer. Feeling his touch
I smiled, my eyes still closed but soon they opened. Looking at him
I leaned up and kissed his lips, a gentle kiss, a morning kiss.
"Good morning Handsome." I said while stretching my limbs, I could
feel a few bones crack, and I made a funny face. "I think I'm
getting old." I laughed a bit and sat up. "Can't we stay in bed? I
would love to keep you here … for myself.” Soon as those words left
my lips I blushed. "I mean … you know … spend some time … here …
comfortable ..." I was nudging myself mentally.

Relishing the
kiss from my little human, I smiled at her words and at the slight
awkwardness. Gently stroking her face, I pondered how best to
reply.

"First, my
little human, you need to eat still, particularly after what
happened on Sunday. Then, Gavril wants me to explain more about our
world. After that?" I ran my finger down her arm. "Perhaps it might
be best for you to return to bed." Strangely enough, given how many
humans had shared my bed over the decades, it felt different asking
my little human. Did she really want to consummate our Mating,
because I wished for nothing more, but I would not rush her?

The caress on
my arm sent shivers down my skin. It made me want to just not get
out of bed. "Ok, sounds good enough." I got out of bed and got
ready for our day. We sat in our usual place, me beside Owain, it
felt so normal and so right.

As we ate, I
looked around and then back at my plate, which I filled twice, I
was even hungrier than I wanted to admit. But it was normal, at
least for them. After we finished we got up, I walked to Gavril to
thank him. "Morning Gavril, I wanted to thank you for standing up
for me ... I didn't mean to cause any trouble." Glancing at Owain I
give him a smile, before I say goodbye to Gavril and walk to Owain.
"Let's get started with that explanation ... I really need it ..."
I chuckled and took his hand.

Gavril had
given me a quick shake of his head, to let me know that he was not
worried about Merida's lack of awareness of protocol when first
addressing the Pack Alpha. It was one of those myriad of details I
needed to explain to her.

Taking her
head, I towed her to the coat room, finding her fresh socks and the
walking boots which had become her pair. Dressing my Mate gave me a
sense of pleasure, the pleasure of protecting her, of making sure
that she was dressed appropriately for a walk outside.

As the snow
crunched under our boots, I held my little human close to me.

"So, where
would you like me to start? What do you want me to explain first?"
I asked her, relishing the feel of my little human close to my
heart.

The way he
helped me get dressed it was nice. Made me feel important, safe
with him. Once outside and hearing his question I just shrugged. I
didn't know where to begin.

"Those wolves
who attacked me … they did it for a reason, deliberately? Why? I
mean, it’s not like I have family, so why me?”

Two relatively
straightforward questions, I thought. I can deal with this. I
stroked Merida's hair. "As to why the other Alpha tried to claim
you? There are two reasons. The first is that, because one of his
wolves bit you, technically, he turned you to a shifter. Created
you, so to speak. But, my blood trumps his bite. That is why you
are Cŵn Annwn and not 'just' a shifter. The Gosselin Alpha thought
he could claim you for one reason only. You bear my scent, even
though we have not consummated our relationship. To lose you would
mean tearing away a part of me. I would feel ... incomplete. I
would not be able to support Gavril and my Pack as well as I could
otherwise. He did not do it because he cared that one of his wolves
had bitten you."

I pulled my
little human closer, wanting to feel her against me, not just at my
side, but full against me. "Little human, you are a part of me, no
matter that nothing physical has passed between us. To lose you
would be like losing a part of my soul. That is the simple
truth."

The answers
Owain gave me were serious. I was trying to wrap it around my head,
his words, every one of them made me feel butterflies. Even if we
haven't consummated our relationship it would be like tearing a
part of him. I couldn't help but smile. Once I was against him I
stopped walking, stood before him and kissed his cheek. Looking up
to his face I pressed my hands to his chest. The thought of
'consummating' made me nervous. "Will people know.....if we
'consummate' things......" The mere thought of people knowing made
my cheeks blush a beet red colour. As to which I just moved and
started walking again. At times kicking the snow, or ruffling
branches to make snow fall on him. Letting out giggles and short
laughs from time to time. "Will I have to......harvest souls?"

Watching
Merida play in the snow, even as she tried to work through what I
had told her, made me smile. "It is unlikely that you would need to
harvest souls, my little human. Amongst our species, the female
acts as the balance to the male half of a mated pair." I came
closer to her, wanting to hold her again.

"If I didn't
have you, now that I have found you, I would be at risk of the
darkness from the evil souls I harvest becoming harder to fight
within me." I pulled Merida into my arms. "Without you, my little
human, there might have come a time when Gavril would have had to
put me down, like a rabid dog." I pressed my lips to her hair,
luxuriating in the feel and the scent of my little human. "But I
have you now. You are my light and my balance, Merida. You are the
other half of my soul."

Giving her
another kiss, soft and lingering, savouring the taste of her lips,
I smiled again. "On a lighter note, yes, others will know when we
consummate our Mating. Part of the Mating ritual is that you will
feel the need to taste my blood, and I will feel the same.
Normally, this is done as a bite to the neck. Traditionally, it is
the one scar that Mates allow to show, proof, if you like, that our
Mating has been consummated. Both of our scents will also change."
I tipped her face up to mine, so she could see my smile of
anticipation of having that public claim visible for all to see.
"To us, the Mating mark is one of the sexiest things we could
imagine. The thought of you bearing my bite?" I pulled my little
human even closer. "Goddess, Merida. When you are ready for that, I
would be more than ready to complete that stage of our Mating
dance."

I hugged him
and let him kiss me, his lips where rough yet soft and warm against
mine, my hands moved to the sides of his neck. "I am your light,
you are my life." I smiled and played with his hair at the back of
his neck.

"I will wear
it as the most prized mark I could ever have, I want it.....me
heart wants it.....every inch of me aches to finally be yours
completely, to be one with you." It was the truth, at first I
didn't know what it was, but now I was sure what my heart, mind and
body wanted, but now I knew. "I want to be part of you, all of me.
And, run with you, you promised me. And I am looking forward for
it."

I smiled and
looked at him in the eyes, my body aches for him, his touch, his
kisses, it was as if I couldn't get enough of him. I pulled him in,
my hands against his neck, my body pressed to his and my lips
claimed his, it started as a gentle kiss but then it escalated. I
could feel the heat at my cheeks. After a few long seconds which
were more like minutes I pulled back.

I wanted to
howl my delight at my little human's words. The sweet passion in
her kiss confirmed what she had just said. Breaking the kiss, I
looked in her eyes.

"Are you sure,
my little human? Are you really sure? There is so much about my
world that I need to teach you; so much that I need to show you. I
don't want to rush you, but Goddess, I want to feel you close to
me. I want to consummate our Mating, but only if you are sure, my
love."

I swept my
little human into my arms, her weight inconsequential. "And, as for
running with me? Once I know you can shift to your wolf form, my
little sable she-wolf, yes, we will run together. We will run every
night if you wish." I smiled. "Assuming we are not otherwise
occupied."

With my little
human in my arms, I flashed us both back to my suite. I didn't want
my Merida feeling any more pressure than necessary. I wanted this
moment to be perfect, to be memorable for all the right
reasons.

This would be
the most critical point in our relationship. If Merida wished, I
would stop, despite knowing that it would mean that at some point,
Gavril would have to kill me. My little human meant too much to me.
I had changed her life irrevocably, but I would hope never to cause
her to regret what had happened.

I wasn't used
to the fast move, the flashing from one place to another. I dropped
to my feet, and smiled, the door closed, I look at him and my hands
move to him. I wanted to explore him first, see what was underneath
all that clothing. The mere thought of it made my mouth water. "I
really want this, no regrets, no going back. I want you all
Owain."

I kissed his
lips, then his neck before I started slowly, taking out his coat
then shirt, to reveal his chest, his torso, a rock hard muscled
torso. I ran my hands over his skin, and leaned to it, pressing my
lips against his skin, tracing kisses over it in different spots,
multiple times. I glance up at him and move back, I take my coat
and slide it off, then without hesitation I removed my shirt, he
had seen me before, when he took me in after the attack. But this
time was different, because this time I knew he was watching me, my
every move. Revealing more of me. My cheeks a soft shade of pink.
"I want you to touch me in more than just one way, my soul aches
for it.

Watching my
little human remove her shirt, revealing herself to me,
voluntarily, brought a soft smile to my lips. Moving closer to her,
I removed my coat and shirt, baring my upper body to my Mate. The
feel of her hands on my skin, the feel of her lips, made my wolf
wriggle with pleasure. Our Mate was touching us, wanted us.

"My little
human, I have waited for this, it seems for so long." I ran my
hands down her arms, her bare arms, my hands coming behind her
back, pausing at the clasp of her bra, before unclipping it, and
allowing it to fall to the floor. Pulling her close to me, I
savoured the feel of her breasts against my torso, before lifting
her into my arms, and carrying her to the bed.

"I want to
touch you. I want to make love to you, and I want that you never
regret your decision, my little human." My voice was ragged, my
desire deepening my tone. Laying her flat on the bed, I undid the
fastener on her trousers, easing them over her hips. Leaning
forward, I pressed my lips gently to her belly, inhaling her scent,
before looking again to her face.

"Last chance,
my little human. I need you so much, but if you want me to stop,
then I will."

It was amazing
how right it felt, my bare breasts pressing against his chest, and
then me laying on the bed the touch of his hand against my skin set
fire to my being. His lips to my belly made my skin get goose bumps
in anticipation. "I want it, I need it. I need you." I wanted him
my wolf pleaded, as so I did with my gaze upon his.

"Please." I
breathed softly, while my hands moved to his arms and then to his
hair, smiling to him to reassure him that I wouldn't change my
decision.

I released the
breath I had not even realised that I was holding. My Mate wanted
me. Our Mate wanted us, my wolf howled. Gently, my hands slipped
her briefs over her hips, and down her legs, and for a moment, I
paused.

Then the need
to touch my Mate, to satisfy her wish to consummate our Mating
drove all else from my mind, Sitting next to her on the bed, I
leaned forward, tasting her lips, leaving little kisses around her
face, her cheeks, her jawline, each half-closed eyelid. I knew my
own eyes were dilated with my own passion for the gift that my
little human was giving me.

"Merida, I
want to make this so perfect for you." I had slept with countless
women, but for this slight human, MY little human, I wanted this
night to be perfect.

My lips
continued their exploration, pausing at the hollow of her throat. I
nuzzled against the side of her neck, her pulse drawing me closer.
Not yet, I told myself, even as I felt my fangs lengthen in
preparation

"When the time
comes, little human, you will know. Your fangs will grow so that
you can bite me." I murmured to her.

I paused for a
moment. Then I lowered my head to her breasts, my tongue seeking
and finding her nipple, swirling around it, bringing it to a sharp
peak, even as my fingers worked on the other nipple. Sucking
gently, I let my other hand wander lower, skirting her waist and
her hip, pausing.

Raising my
head, I watched my Mate again. "My little human, thank you for this
gift you give me tonight." I whispered.

His lips
tracing over my skin, my face, jasmine, throat, his tongue on my
breasts, it was all sending waves of electricity through my body, a
pressure between my hips was forming. Looking at him I bit my
bottom lip while he whispered, my body moving lightly enjoying
every touch. Every minute that passed was a minute driving me to
ecstasy.