Chasing Cristabel (Ashland Pride Six) (16 page)

He hummed in surprise. “I don’t think so.
I’ve seen how some of the males were with the females. I am certain
that there were truemates among our kind, but without knowing that
we could blood share and break the curse, the males were left to
pine for females who had no desire to be with them. I liked your
mother. She was so pretty, and she had a sharp wit that I enjoyed.
When I could get her to let down her defenses, anyway. But after
you were born, she never wanted anything to do with me, and my cat
was okay with that. I think if she’d been my truemate, my cat would
have railed against her leaving for Canada when the females
split.”

“You could still find your truemate.”

“Maybe I will. But I’m content, and that’s
enough for me.”

“I’m going to check on Cris. She was pretty
upset about her dad.”

“Take good care of her
and
your
cousins. And don’t forget to take care of yourself, too. Love
you.”

“I love you, too, Dad.”

Chase ended the call and put his phone into
his pocket. He looked around the bedroom that had been his since
they’d moved to Ashland and joined the pride. It had felt like home
to him for a long time, but now it didn’t. Home was where Cris was.
She was the center of his world and the best thing that had ever
happened to him.

* * *

Thursday evening Dylan stood at the window of
the bedroom and watched as two black panthers padded by silently.
They were almost invisible in the darkness, their shadows just
slightly darker as they moved just outside of the boundary of the
floodlights illuminating the boarding house. It had been a few days
since the females’ plot to take him had been foiled. He was
thankful that Cris had gone after Theresa. If the human hadn’t
feared for her life against the angry lioness, they might not have
discovered the truth. He would never have willingly gone anywhere
with Theresa, but he didn’t think the females were above using any
means necessary to get what they wanted. It’s also why he and his
cousins were fairly sure it wasn’t the last they’d hear from
them.

He saw Hunter pull up in his truck and his
pulse quickened, knowing that Cris was home now and they would have
some precious time alone together. He darted downstairs to greet
her, throwing open the front door and grinning as she got out of
the truck and pulled her coat closer around her. “Hi, love.”

She grinned as their eyes met, and he gave a
little wave to Hunter, ushering Cris up into the house. “It’s
cold!” she declared as he shut the door. “I can’t wait for
spring.”

“I don’t mind the cold because I can warm you
up,” he said, hanging up her coat and hugging her.

She chuckled as she shivered. “I like the way
you warm me up.”

“I have a special treat for you upstairs,” he
said, taking her cold hand in his and leading her to the
stairs.

“Is that what you call it?” she asked, her
voice tinged with humor.

Laughing, he said, “No. Well, yes and no. I
made dinner for us and thought we could eat upstairs so we can have
some privacy. But I’ll totally call myself your special treat from
now on.”

“You’re insatiable.”

“Only for you.”

He opened the bedroom door, and she walked
in, pausing with a gasp at the picnic he’d arranged for them. It
hadn’t been easy to find picnic supplies in the winter, but he’d
finally found everything he wanted for her. A red and white gingham
blanket had been spread on the floor, and a wicker picnic basket
overflowing with classic picnic dishes sat on the blanket. Because
neither of them were drinkers, he’d put a bottle of sparkling apple
juice in an ice bucket. He’d wanted an outdoors theme without
having to be out in the cold, so he’d hauled up the pride’s large
plastic Christmas tree and put it in the corner of the room,
plugging in the clear, white lights. The tree lit up the dark room,
accentuated with the help of dozens of electric candles he’d set
around the blanket.

“Oh, Dylan,” she said, her voice a sweet
whisper. “It’s amazing.”

He turned the lock on the door and joined
her, sliding his hands around to rest on her stomach as he pulled
her against him. “You’re amazing. I wanted to do something special
for our night together.”

She tipped her head back and kissed him.
“You’re so sweet.”

“Just for you.” Leading her to the blanket,
he stepped over the candles and watched as she removed her heels
and joined him.

He opened his mouth to tell her about the
meal when she kissed him. Her lips mashed against his with a purr
as she wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her lower body
toward his. His body sprang to life as their tongues slid together,
his cat rising to the forefront to join his purr with hers. He
loved how she purred when she was turned on, as if she were just so
happy she couldn’t contain it.

“Love,” he said, as she nipped his lower lip
with a playful growl.

“Hold that thought,” she said, giving him a
wink as she dropped to her knees and fisted the waistband of his
jeans. She undid the button and lowered the zipper, spreading the
material apart with a sultry growl. She pushed up his shirt,
exposing his stomach to her gaze, and he took the unspoken request
and tugged off the shirt, tossing it aside. Kissing the flesh above
his waistband, she hummed softly and gazed up at him.

She stripped off her shirt, keeping her gaze
locked with his. He hardly dared to breathe; he was so entranced
with what she was doing. She wiggled her pants down to her knees
and off her legs. She was on her knees before him again, her
breasts covered with blue lace that matched her panties. He brushed
his fingers through her hair while she tugged his jeans and shorts
down his legs. He was certain he’d never seen anything sexier than
the way she licked her lips as she gazed at him, her eyes full of
love and heat.

He smiled at her, wanting to say a million
things to her in that one moment. How much he loved her, how sexy
she was, how lucky
he
was. Instead, he did what she always
did when words weren’t enough. He purred.

Her eyes darkened to the color of denim, and
she answered his purr with her own as she lowered her head slowly
and grasped his cock with both hands. She licked her lips once more
and then kissed the head, just a soft brush that made everything in
him quiet. She opened her mouth and took him in agonizingly slow.
She rubbed her tongue on the underside, caressing that thick vein
and exploring the head with slow strokes. She sucked on him, just
hard enough to make his eyes cross with pleasure.

And she purred again.

He felt the vibrations all the way to his
spine, his body stiffening and jerking as the pleasurable hum
caressed him from the inside out. He’d planned to let her do
whatever she wanted for as long as she wanted, but the pleasure
crested in him so fast he couldn’t stop himself from enjoying the
hell out of the love of his life sucking on him like he was her
favorite piece of candy.

One hand slipped under his dick and cradled
his balls, and he groaned as she undid her bra with her other hand,
letting her breasts free as she wiggled the lace away from
herself.

“You’re so fucking sexy,” he growled, cupping
the side of her face. She rolled her gaze up to his as her cheeks
hollowed as she sucked, her massaging fingers driving him wild in
the very best way.

“Gonna come soon,” he said, grinding his
teeth to try to prolong the pleasure.

Taking him deeper into her mouth, she purred
again, her hands grasping his hips and holding him close. Her head
tilted slightly, and she took him a little deeper into her mouth,
her gaze dragging up to his with a look of utter happiness in the
dark blue depths. He wouldn’t have been able to stop coming with a
gun to his head. It was just that fucking good.

His head dropped back as he shouted her name,
his cat roaring in happiness as their mate took care of them. She
let him slide out of her mouth as slowly as she’d first taken him
in, and he watched her as she smiled. Her lips were swollen and
glossy, and she licked them. He dropped to his knees and slid his
hand into her hair, fisting it lightly as he kissed her and slid
his hand down her stomach and inside her panties. Her pussy was
scorching hot and drenched, and she tilted her hips as he pushed
his fingers into her and then drew the soaked digits over her clit.
She cried out against his lips as he worked her clit hard and fast,
stretching her out on the floor and fingering her pussy as she
came. Her pussy clenched around his fingers tightly, and he played
his thumb over her swollen clit, drawing out her climax as she
shuddered and moaned, writhing under his attentions.

He was
not
the aggressive male in
their mating, but he’d been unable to stop himself from making her
come, watching her skin flush as the passion overtook her and
knowing that it was him who’d made her that happy. He nuzzled her
throat and kissed the mark he’d made, and then he slid his hand
from inside her panties and sucked her dewy wetness from his
fingers.

“I love to watch you do that,” she said in a
husky voice.

He wiggled his brows at her. “You taste so
good. I wouldn’t want to waste your sweet pleasure.”

“You taste pretty good, too,” she said. “I
hope I didn’t spoil your picnic. I just wanted to do that to you.”
She cupped his head and drew him to her mouth, kissing him
tenderly. “You take such good care of me. I worry about not being
enough for you, because you have to share me.”

He shook his head. “Put the thought far from
your mind, love. You are more than I could possibly hope for, and
everything I need.”

“You’ll tell me if you ever feel
differently?”

“I won’t feel differently, but I promise to
be an open book.”

“Good,” she cupped his cheeks and smiled. “I
love you, Dylan Hall. I’m head-over-tail in love with you.”

“I love you too, Cris. I’m so glad you’re
mine.”

Chapter 13

Cris stared out the passenger window of
Chase’s sedan as he drove her to Lily’s apartment. It was their
official mating day, at least official by her cat’s standards, and
Lily had offered to make them a special cake.

Lily had been upset to learn that Cris’s
parents hadn’t reached out to her again. Hell, it had upset Cris,
too. She’d hoped that her mom would at least call, but in spite of
staring at her phone nearly constantly over the last week, she’d
heard nada from either parent.

She hadn’t been surprised, really, by her
dad’s reaction, even though a small part of her had hoped that he
wouldn’t be a judgmental dick and shut her out of their lives.

Hunter leaned forward from the backseat and
put his hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“I’m just thinking about my parents.”

“Maybe in time they’ll come around,” Dylan
said.

“It’s a nice idea, but I don’t think it will
happen.” She shook her head, rubbing the space between her eyes
with her thumb. “I never used to be such a pessimist.”

“It’s okay to be disappointed by their
response, but it doesn’t have to change anything about our future.”
Chase reached for her, covering her hand with his, making her feel
both cherished and protected. “Today’s our mating day.”

She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed
the top, closing her eyes for a brief moment and exhaling slowly.
“What did I ever do before you guys came into my life?”

Hunter said, “I wonder that about myself all
the time. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“Me too,” both Dylan and Chase said
simultaneously.

She kept Chase’s hand pressed to her face and
looked at her other mates. “I’m the luckiest lion in the
world.”

“Not as lucky as us,” Chase said.

The rest of the short drive was silent. Her
mates seemed to understand that she needed a little time to think
over everything that had happened. Even though she’d known deep in
her heart when she first left home to go to college, determined to
make her own way in life against pride traditions, that her parents
wouldn’t be happy with her choices, she’d still held onto a thread
of hope. Maybe they’d love her enough to look past what they viewed
as disobedience and disrespect. Maybe they’d welcome her and
whoever her heart chose into the pride with open arms.

That hadn’t remotely happened. Disappointing
her parents on such an epic scale had broken something inside her;
she didn’t want to really admit it. She’d considered herself a good
daughter up until now. She’d followed pride traditions up until
this point. How could one choice ruin her relationship with her
parents?

They reached the apartment complex and Chase
parked and turned off the engine. She reached for the handle, but
Hunter’s voice stopped her.

“Love?” He said. She turned in her seat to
face him and he cupped her chin. His thumbs gently brushed tears
from her cheeks. She hadn’t even realized she’d been crying.
“You’re an amazing female, Cristabel. You’re strong and
independent. You love deeply, and you’re so gorgeous I feel like
I’m staring into the sun when I look at you. If following your
heart is what breaks the tie to your parents, if they can’t look
past their traditions to see the insanely incredible female you’ve
become, then that’s
their
loss. You shouldn’t be mourning
anything today except the lack of sleep you’re going to get after
we get you alone tonight.”

She smiled, causing more tears to fall from
her eyes, and then she laughed. It was a short, sharp laugh that
developed into a full-blown belly laugh. “How do you always know
just what to say to make me feel better?”

He kissed her temple. “Because making you
happy is the most important thing in my universe.”

She kissed him and smiled, turning her
attention to Dylan and Chase. They both kissed her, their hands
pressing lightly to her, making her feel entirely surrounded and
loved. She looked at Dylan, with his green eyes bright with
happiness, and Chase’s sweet smile that was both comforting and
full of concern. Hunter’s strong arms were always ready to hold her
tight or drive her wild. They often told her they were lucky, but
she was truly the lucky one. There were females who never had even
one male love them, and she had three.