Sassy Ever After: A Hot Piece Of Sass (Kindle Worlds Novella) (5 page)

Chapter Eight

“H
ave you ever seen such a magnificent creature?”
Hannah asked her wolf. The male, their mate, looked eerily similar to the one she’d conjured up in her sexiest, naughtiest dream. ‘Tall, dark, and handsome’ didn’t even begin to cover his physical description. ‘Huge, dark, and hot as hell’ would have been more like it.

His size alone was like something out of a fairy tale. She had seen many wolves over the years, but never one anywhere near as large as the one staring her down. He was the very essence of ‘big bad wolf’ and the power emanating from him left her feeling weak at the knees.

If it hadn’t been for the smell of honey and cinnamon wafting from his direction, she would’ve taken off like someone had lit a fire under her. The only thing that kept her ass firmly planted to the ground was the scent of her mate.

Logical thought started to wane as his wonderful scent enveloped her senses. Her body filled with a need so strong her chest tightened, leaving her breathless. Desire strummed through every single nerve ending and left her begging for a single touch.

Hannah’s mouth watered at the thought of her mate claiming her. Her heart skipped a beat or two, imagining the pleasure that would be involved when his fangs pierced the delicate skin of her neck. She shivered in anticipation.

I wonder if he’s as hot in human form as he is in wolf form.

As if he had the ability to read her mind, her mate charged at her, full steam. In a panic, she quickly pulled the rug out from under her wolf and shifted to human form, bringing the male to a screeching halt. His muzzle, inches away from her chest, sent her backpedaling once again.

Letting out an agitated huff, he pursued her, encroaching further on her personal space with each deliberate step he took.

“Stop right there, buddy,” Hannah demanded, lightly swatting him on the muzzle.

The wolf drew his head back in surprise. He’d obviously never been told no before. Hannah tried not to giggle at the silly look on his fuzzy face.

“I don’t know what you’re fixin’ to do, or how the whole mating process works where you’re from. But around here we’re civilized wolves who like to get to know one another first. Your momma should have taught you better than to drop a fang on a girl before you even ask for her name.”

“Oh, Jesus! Did I just say that out loud?”
Hannah asked her wolf.

“Way to go! Now he’s going to eat us and clean his teeth with the remains of our bones. What the hell were you thinking?”

“That I wanted to know more about him, before I let him bite me!”

“Who cares? He’s our Fated Mate!”
Hannah’s wolf argued.

“I care, and you should too. Who knows where those fangs have been?”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. He may be our mate, but that doesn’t mean we have to roll over like a good little submissive girl.”

With a deep sigh, her wolf surrendered, no longer in control, giving up the battle, though it went against her very nature. All the wolf cared about was her mate. If it were up to her, she would gladly submit and surrender all control. No questions asked, no answers needed.

Hannah stared him down, impatiently tapping her toe as she waited for a response from the male, but he seemed to be taking his sweet time shifting into human form.

“I do have somewhere to be tonight, so if we could move this along a little—”

Before Hannah could finish her sentence, her mate shifted into human form.

“Lord, have mercy!” Hannah couldn’t believe her eyes. She tried to say something… anything other than what she already had, but words escaped her. Completely.

If she had expected the mating pull to ease up once he shifted to human form, boy was she wrong. Seeing her mate in human form brought on a fresh surge of hunger. Her skin itched with an unaccustomed tightness. Need crashed over with the force of a thousand waves, pulling her under, refusing to release her.

When her mate’s brilliant blue eyes met and held hers for the first time, she nearly swooned. Like a real, old-fashioned, honest-to-goodness fucking swoon. It took all of her strength and what little brain power that remained to muster the breath needed to fill her lungs.

“Why did you smack me?” he asked in a deep voice.

Was it her imagination or did that voice belong to the fantasy mate from her dreams? She’d spent the entirety of the previous night and most of the day today fantasizing about all the naughty little things he’d done to her and whispered in her ear. One word from his mouth was all it took for the fire to race through her veins.

“He asked you a question, genius.”
Her wolf pulled her back from the erotic images swirling through her mind.

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

“Why did you smack me?”

“Because you had no business sticking your nose where you did.”

The male’s mouth fell open in surprise. “What did you expect? You’re mine!”

“Look here, mister. The Fates may have decided to throw the two of us together to see what happens, like some sort of fucked-up daytime TV soap opera, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stand idly by while you act like a beast. A simple ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ can go a long way.”

Hannah bit back the urge to laugh when she saw the reaction on her mate’s face.

Tilting his head back, he stared up at the heavens above. She watched his chest rise and fall several times before he patiently and calmly asked, “May I please bite you.”

“No, you may not.” Hannah cocked her head to the side.

“But you said to say please.” His astonishment was evident on his face.

“I did. I also said no.”

“Why did you say no? That’s kind of how the whole mating thing works. I smell you. You smell me. I bite you. You bite me. We fuck. Fall in love. Have a few pups. Boom. Done.”

What. The. Fuck. Did he really just say that?
It was Hannah’s turn to pick her jaw up off the ground.

“Really?
Wow.
You haven’t spent a lot of time around females, have you?”

Tanner motioned impatiently with his hands. “And your point?”

“My point is that you, Mr. Mate, need to learn some damn respect. I’m not just another piece of ass for you to hit and quit.”

“You’re a hot piece of sass and I’ll respect you in the morning.”

Honest to God, Hannah could have sworn she heard crickets chirp in the background when her mate delivered his pathetic attempt at a joke. She had no words. Not one. Zip. Zero. Zilch.

“Too soon to joke about that kind of thing?”

“Yeah, you could say that. So… are you going to tell me your name? Or do I have to start guessing?”

“Sorry, I’m Tanner.” He stretched out his hand, politely greeting his mate.

“Nice to meet you, Tanner. I’m Hannah.”

Pulses of awareness surged through her body when her fingertips brushed against his hand.
Surely he felt it too. Right?

The pulses were quickly eclipsed by a jolt of lust as he raised her hand to his mouth and gently kissed each fingertip. His brilliant blue eyes glowed, a calling to her wolf. Heaven seemed to be a mere breath away when he gently sucked each fingertip into his mouth. If he kept it up, she had no doubt she’d turn into a shadow of her former self, a helpless, melting puddle of desire at his feet.

Hannah fought off the overwhelming urge to throw Tanner on the ground and have her way with him. She’d been turned on by a few different guys over the years, but not like this. Never had she felt like she would actually combust if the man she was with didn’t touch her.

Almost as if he’d read her mind, he pulled her close. Placing the tip of his finger gently under her chin, he tilted her face up to meet his.

Sparks flew as his lips, hot and moist, covered hers. Her nipples pebbled against his hard chest. Hannah moaned in his mouth when he wrapped his other hand around the back of her neck before tunneling his fingers through her hair, holding her head steady and close.

His hips rocked against her stomach, letting her know just how much he wanted her. Tanner’s kiss was like no other kiss she’d ever encountered in her life. Demanding, forceful—but at the same time, unexpectedly tender. She wanted to strip bare and plead for her mate to claim her.

Chapter Nine

“I
’ve never in my life felt such a strong pull to another wolf. I need to claim you, Hannah. My wolf is going out of his mind, and I’m not sure how long I can contain him.” Tanner pulled back briefly from the kiss, trying to explain the urgency he felt. He wanted to hear her out, but he was stuck in a full-blown battle with his wolf. A battle in which he knew, when push came to shove, exactly who would come out on top.

Tanner struggled with his wolf, urging the beast to remain patient. Her voice was music to his ears, but he had an ulterior motive as well. He wanted to hear what she had to say, but even more, he wanted to hear her thoughts—the unspoken snippets running through her mind that would tell all. His ability was something he had always hated with a passion, but now, when he actually
wanted
to hear a person’s thoughts more than anything, he heard nothing.

Tanner waited, expecting to be overwhelmed by his curse at any moment. Instead, something unusual happened, and he heard what he had always wished for: Absolute silence. Puzzled, he tilted his head to the side as if waiting for some mysterious majik to kick in and correct all the wrongs in the universe, thus allowing him to hear his mate telepathically.

“You’re going to have to hold off on that whole claiming thing, buddy. My wolf recognizes you as her mate, but I don’t. I’m not the type of woman to be ruled by my base animal instincts. I need more. I need a man who’s not afraid of commitment. A lover who sees only me. A friend who makes me laugh. A wolf who’s strong enough to protect whatever family we may have, and the pack. While I’ve seen one of those traits, I have yet to see the others. For me, it’s kind of a package deal. If it’s meant to be, those are all things that will come naturally, but it requires time and patience for both of us.”

That’s what she says now, but what does she really want?
Tanner tried listening to her thoughts once again… and… nothing.

“What the fuck.”
Tanner hoped his wolf would have the answer to his problem.

Was it because he was distracted by his wolf who tried his damnedest to take over again? Or did it have something to do with the mating instinct surging through his veins? Either way he heard nothing. Tanner didn’t know what it was, but something was acting as a barrier, effectively blocking his ability.

He was barely hanging on to his human shape. The wolf wanted his mate, and Tanner found that denying his instinct proved to be a painful lesson for both of them. He tried to find the words,
any
words, to respond to Hannah, but instead he stood there looking like a goober.

Maybe his wolf was right. He sucked when it came to this whole ‘conversation with women’ thing that his wolf accused him of, but he had to try. After all, she wasn’t just any woman, she was his mate. The one he had searched for his entire life. The one he was destined to spend the rest of his days with.

What surprised Tanner the most was that he actually
cared
what his mate thought about him. It was more than the mating instinct. For the first time ever, he wanted a woman to know everything about him and he wanted to know just as much, if not more, about his mate.

His wolf, on the other hand, was not amused.
“Is she kidding?”
The animal paced back and forth in his mind, agitation setting in.
“She is mine. How dare she make demands on us?”

“Patience.”

His wolf huffed once again. Patience was not something he wanted to hear or consider. The only thing he wanted to think about was how fast he could mark and claim his mate. Nothing else mattered.

“We have the rest of our lives to get to know each other,” Tanner said.

“True, but I’d like to know more about my potential mate before he goes all alpha-male on me.”

“Ask away.” With a slight wave of his hand, he conveyed a gesture of invitation.

“Where are you from? What pack?”

“Black Paw Pack.”

“Why are you so big?” Hannah flushed when she realized her question hadn’t come out quite the way she’d intended.

“Uhh… the better to see you with?”

“Ha ha. Very funny. Seriously, not that it’s a bad thing, but you are ginormous. Are all the wolves in your pack as large as you?”

“I’m the largest in my pack, but the wolves from Black Paw are different from ordinary wolf- shifters. We’re all descendants from Odin’s clan of ancient Nordic berserkers.”

“Wait—are you the crazies I read about who fly off the handle in some sort of rage, killing everyone in sight?” Hannah backed up cautiously.

“Wow. Talk about stereotyping. Most of us at Black Paw keep a very firm hold on our berserkers. The only time we lose control is when there is an immediate threat to those we love—like our mates, our children, our pack. It’s a killing instinct we were born with.” Tanner leaned close to Hannah, his lips a breath away from hers. “Do I seem out of control to you?”

His wolf whined in his head, wanting more of his mate than she offered. Any ability the wolf had to concentrate on their surroundings or the conversation vanished. All he could think about was the sweet smell of strawberries, and how fucking good they tasted on his tongue. Usually his wolf hated any type of fruit, now the wolf’s mouth watered as the delectable scent swirled around him, clouding his mind. He forced himself to back away once again, or else he would’ve had to strip her naked and claim her right there, then fuck her like she’d never been fucked before.

“No. You seem like your control is pretty solid right now—even when you were fighting those guys. You didn’t kill them. Why?”

“Because I don’t enjoy killing. Barbara and Tristian will deal with them as they see fit. They’ll be punished according to the laws in Blue Creek.”

“How would they be punished at Black Paw?”

“The Alpha would strip their wolves from them and force them to live out the remainder of their lives as humans.”

Hannah gasped in shock. “He can do that?”

“Yes. It’s one of his powers. I’ve seen it done. It’s not a pretty picture.”

Hannah nodded. “I can imagine. How did you end up in Blue Creek? Did you come for the Scenting Ceremony?”

“The Alpha’s mom needed me to deliver a special package to Barbara Wolfe for the ceremony. So here I am.”

“I should’ve known Aunt Barbara had something to do with you showing up here.”

“She’s your aunt?” Tanner cocked his head to the side, wondering if he had indeed been set up by Grace, and why he’d never detected it.

“These nosy old women are going to drive me nuts. They’re forever butting their noses into everyone’s business.”

“Do you really think we were set up?”

“Honestly? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. And Barbara has never needed anyone to bring her anything for the Scenting Ceremony before. I have no idea how it was explained to you, but it’s nothing more than a bunch of wolves getting together in a field and sniffing around for their mate. There are no magical enchantments, no items or talismans used in the ceremony.”

“How would Barbara and Grace have known we were meant to be together?” Tanner watched as Hannah twisted a lock of hair around her finger, deep in thought.

“My aunt has always had a sixth sense when it comes to finding mates for her family members. I guess it’s one of her gifts or something.”

“So… now what do we do?” Tanner stepped closer to Hannah, needing to feel the heat from her body, wanting to feel the softness of her touch.

“I think we need to call for someone to take out the trash.” Hannah pointed to the three broken males on the ground.

“I don’t think they’ll be moving for a while. Surely we have a little more time to ourselves, right?”

Hannah slowly stepped backwards, trying to separate them. Tanner wouldn’t allow it. For each step she tried to take away from him, he took one step closer. Finally she ran out of options when her back pressed up against a tree.

“Have I answered all of your questions?”

“Hardly. I’ve only just begun.”

“You know we have all the time in the world to get to know one another. Right now, I just want another taste.”

Tanner moved in for the kill again. His lips closed over hers, taking what he wanted. When no protests were forthcoming, he deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue in to meet hers.
Sweet goddess above
. The unmistakable taste of fresh, ripe, sweet strawberries flooded his senses.

Hannah moaned into his mouth, and his wolf surged forward. It took all of Tanner’s strength and concentration to remain in human form. His body trembled with desire and need. His hands, usually sure and steady, shook as he ran his fingers through her hair, holding her close.

Seconds turned to minutes as their passion flared. Tanner thought he had died and gone to Valhalla when Hannah grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, their bodies flush against one another. His cock throbbed against her belly. He wanted to tear the clothes off of her so he could lick and kiss every inch of her curvy body.

His free hand skimmed over her breasts, caressing each one before moving lower. The curve of her hips against his palm drove him to the brink of madness. Reaching down, he pulled her left leg up, positioning it around him. The heat from her core combined with her luscious scent made his mouth water. Time seemed to slow; his only focus was his mate and how much he wanted her.