Carol's Mate (12 page)

Authors: Zena Wynn

Tags: #African American Shape-shifter Paranormal

There were times not being human had its advantages. This was one of them.

Carol slowly and deliberately bent over to untie the shoelaces on her ankle boots, turning in a way that made sure he got a good look at the luscious ass that he loved so much. The tease! He let out a low growl.

“Time‟s up.” He came forward determinedly.

She straightened, an expression of false alarm on her face. “Wait, wait! See, I‟m undressing,” she stated, reaching for the hem of her shirt.

“Too late.” A few slashes of the claws, and her red velour tunic with the Christmas tree on it, whose ornaments really lit up, and the matching pants were True Mates: Carol’s Mate

history. He paused when he caught sight of the red itsy-bitsy thong she wore beneath it and the matching push-up demibra.

Noting his interest, she asked, “You like?”

“Yeah. I don‟t remember you having that on this morning,” he admitted.

A wicked grin crossed her face. “I didn‟t. I put them on when I changed for dinner.”

Mark reached out and ran the tip of one finger over her lace-covered mound.

“Nice,” he drawled before snatching her panties off. The bra quickly followed, drifting to the floor in a cloud of lace scraps.

“Hey! I thought you liked these,” she protested.

“I do. Make sure you purchase more,” he stated as he crowded her in the direction of the bed. “On your hands and knees. I want to see that pussy. I have a promise to keep.”

Carol‟s eyes bled to gold, and she shuddered. Wasting no time, she climbed onto the bed and presented her ass.

“Spread those legs, baby. That‟s it. A little wider now. Perfect.” He knelt on the floor behind her. Nibbling on one cheek and then the other, he bit down gently with his teeth, smiling when she gave a small moan. She was so ready for him she was shaking, but he wanted more.

“Um, look how pretty this is.” Mark ran a thumb through the moisture lining her slit and brought it to his mouth. “Since you‟ve been pregnant, your essence has changed. It‟s thicker, creamier, richer. So sweet it leaves me craving more.” Separating her labia, Mark buried his face between her legs and ate.

“Mark, baby,” she squealed, trying to scramble away. He clamped a hand around her hips and ignored her feeble protest. After all their years together, she still hadn‟t adjusted to the intensity of the feeling when he went down on her. It‟s why he loved doing it. He knew one lick and she went crazy.

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Her cries became muffled, and he realized she must have buried her face in a pillow to keep from screaming out. When her knees were in danger of collapsing and he figured she‟d had enough, he stood and buried his length in her sheath.

She tightened around him. His eyes crossed, and he had to squeeze his cock at the base to keep from coming. Popping her on the ass with the flat of his hand, he scolded, “Quit that. I promised you a long ride, and I‟m going to give it to you.” For good measure, he spanked her other cheek as well. As a shifter, Carol liked her sex rough, but in her condition he couldn‟t risk it. So to give her that edge of pain that she loved so much, he spanked her ass, alternating cheeks and rhythm so she never knew when the blow would land.

“Oh, God,” she moaned and circled her hips as she clenched around him again.

“No, baby. The name‟s Mark,” he said with a wicked chuckle.

He set a slow and steady rhythm, gliding deep and withdrawing until he was almost completely out before thrusting forward again. Mark rode her until the sweat poured down his face, and his balls drew up tight against his body as he fought to hold back his wolf. Finally he couldn‟t take it any longer.

“Hold on, baby; it‟s about to get little rough. Tell me if it‟s too much.” Mark climbed up onto the mattress and covered his mate, his arms planted on the bed by her head. Then he loosened the chain on the beast that was screaming to be free. His teeth locked onto her neck, holding her in place, and the sounds of wet suctioning and slapping flesh filled the room.

Carol‟s back bowed, and she came with a scream. The feel of her milking his cock caused him to let loose with a deep growl as his cock expanded to massive proportions right before the semen erupted from his body. He drove in to the hilt and held there as he came and came and came some more.

The tension left him in a rush, and he collapsed onto his side, pulling his exhausted mate down with him. He stroked her gently from breast to thigh as her breathing slowly evened out. “Did that make up for you having to take it easy today?”

True Mates: Carol’s Mate

She barked out a laugh, as though his question had startled her, and he groaned as the motion caressed his cock, which was still nestled inside her body.

“Oh yeah,” she assured him with a pleased sigh.

“Good. Got to keep my baby satisfied. Too many wolves out there looking for mates,” he told her, only half joking. Mark never let himself forget how lucky he was or took his woman for granted. He didn‟t have to go far to find any number of men who‟d be happy to be in his position.

“I hope Alex finds a mate soon. I hate seeing him so unhappy.”

“He will. There are some nice women within the pack.” Carol sighed. “I know, but he doesn‟t want any of them. He wants what we have, and I can‟t blame him. Besides, Alex shouldn‟t have to settle, not in this. I know he‟d be a good mate to any one of them, but he deserves more. He deserves love.”

“Well, there‟s nothing we can do but be supportive of him and hope the Creator sends him a mate the way he did us,” Mark reasoned. He sat up and disentangled his body from hers. “Come on. It‟s been a long day. Let‟s go take that shower you wanted earlier and get some rest.”

“All right,” she agreed and rose from the bed, a pensive expression still on her face.

“Hey!” He caught her by the waist. “Stop worrying. What will be will be.” A rueful smile crept across her face, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You‟re right. I know you are. I can‟t help worrying.” Mark dropped a kiss on her lips. “Let‟s see if I can redirect your thoughts to something more pleasant.” He hustled her into the bathroom and proceeded to make her forget about everything but the two of them together.

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Epilogue

“Just a minute, son. We‟d like a word with you.” Alex paused with one hand on the car door handle. “Yeah, Dad?” He waited while his parents crossed over to him, reining in his curiosity.

They‟d been together last night and all day today, discussing every topic under the sun. What needed to be said that hadn‟t?

“The elders approached us today…” his father began.

“The elders? No offense, but if there‟s a problem within the pack, as alpha, they should be coming to me,” Alex interrupted.

“They‟re concerned about your lack of mate, and so are we,” his mother explained.

Alex felt the muscles in his neck tighten. “I—”

“You‟ve been alpha for ten years now. It‟s time for you to settle down,” his father stated.

Not this again.

“Don‟t you think I want to?” Alex thought of the new home he‟d built and the lone present sitting under his Christmas tree, purchased for the mate he wished he had.

“Then what‟s the problem?” his mother asked, concern showing on her face.

“I want what you and Dad have and Carol and Mark found. I want my one.”

“Oh, Alex.” His mother stepped forward and laid her hand on his arm. “While your father and I love each other dearly and I couldn‟t imagine my life without him, he‟s not my true mate.”

True Mates: Carol’s Mate

“What?” This was the first he‟d heard of this.

“Son, we‟re as happy for Carol and Mark as you are, but the facts are what they found is extremely rare. The odds of you finding yours, if she‟s even out there, are slim. You can still have a good, loving mating without finding your one.” Alex felt his expression harden into what his mother called his stubborn face.

He knew he had a true mate. Rare to find didn‟t mean impossible.

His mother noted it and sighed. “Alex, at least make an effort. That‟s all they—we—are asking.”

“Don‟t you think I‟ve tried?” he burst out. His frustration with the situation was beginning to get the better of him. How many times were they going to discuss this? Pushing off the car, he stepped away from his parents, needing space. In a calmer tone, he reminded them, “None of the women in the pack interest me.”

“There are other packs. The Sparrowhawks‟ alpha has a sister,” his father said.

Alex snorted his contempt as he turned to face his father again. “The Sparrowhawks are throwbacks. The alpha killed his own father to take control.”

“On the eastern seaboard alone, there are at least twenty other packs. One of them is bound to have a female that stirs you.”

“The other packs are as short on females as we are. Besides, what do you want me to do, leave the pack to its own devices while I go mate hunting?”

“Carol is more than capable of handling the pack temporarily and the medical clinic.”

“And my veterinarian practice?” Alex bit out, his tone heavy with sarcasm.

“Who‟s going to handle
it
? Carol‟s a nurse, not a vet. Am I supposed to let it sit idle?”

His father‟s eyes narrowed in warning. “If that‟s what it takes. Far better than sitting on your ass waiting for your one to magically appear.” 90

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“Sitting on my—” His mother‟s gasp made him bite off the rest. “I‟ve been working my tail off trying to get this medical center on its feet, in addition to the veterinarian practice you left behind when you two went running off to Arizona.” His father growled, and Alex felt his eyes go wolf as he took an angry step forward.

“Alex, Tom.” His mother got between them, hands outstretched to hold them apart. “Both of you, leash the beast. Right now.” Alex spun away, hands gripping his head, appalled at how close he was to challenging his own father. He tried to remember this was his dad he was dealing with, a man he both loved and highly respected.

In the background, he could hear his mother murmuring to his dad, but deliberately blocked out what she was saying. Alex concentrated on the frigid night air, the snow on the ground, and the quarter moon barely visible above the tree line.

He inhaled deeply, breathing in the night scents. Anything to settle his beast.

Slowly his eyes rounded out, and his claws retracted. The muscles in his shoulders loosened.

A soft hand landed on his back. “Alex, we know this is a difficult topic. That‟s why the elders came to us. Please realize we have only yours and the pack‟s best interests at heart. Maybe you can put some feelers out. If you can‟t go to them, I‟m sure plenty of eligible females would be willing to come here to you. All we‟re asking is that you do more than what you‟re doing now. Relax your standards a little.”

“And know this: if you don‟t find a mate for yourself soon, the elders will do it for you,” his father added in a hard voice.

Knowing any response he made at this moment would damage his relationship with his parents, Alex shrugged off his mother‟s hand and took off running down the driveway and into the woods, stripping as he went.

“Alex!”

“Let the pup go. He‟s got a lot to think about,” his father said.

True Mates: Carol’s Mate

There was nothing to think about. He knew what he wanted and refused to settle for less. He would have his true mate or no mate at all. He seamlessly shifted and ran into the night. He‟d get his car later.

Loose Id Titles by Zena Wynn

The TRUE MATES Series

True Mates

Nikolai’s Wolf

Carol’s Mate

Zena Wynn

I love to read. I love books that can take me out of my ordinary life into an extraordinary reality. I don‟t just read. I become. To me, a really well written book is like a mini-vacation, without all of the hassle. My greatest hope is that after reading one of my stories, you‟ll feel the same.

The mother of three (four, if you count Lady, our family dog) and grandmother of two, when not busy with family or church, I can most likely be found in front of the computer writing or escaping into a book.

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