Authors: V.A. Dold
“I belong to you as you belong to me.
“I give you my heart and my body.
“I will protect you even with my life.
“I give you all I am.
“I share my half of our soul to complete you.
“I share my magic with you.”
Stefan leaned forward and kissed her senseless once again before nuzzling her. He lapped at her neck, once, twice, a third time, and then bit, piercing the flesh with his sharp, elongated canines.
El moaned as the slight pain faded into pure bliss.
He suckled and licked his bite mark to ease the sting as he began to gently thrust again.
“I beseech the great Luna Goddess to bless you and your wolf guardian.
“You are my mate to cherish today and for all time.
“I claim you as my mate.”
What sounded and felt like a wind whooshed through the room and into her body. She felt fuller, more complete than she’d ever felt in her life. Funny, she hadn’t realized there had been anything missing.
“Now you need to repeat the words back to me,
mon âme soeur
, and bite me back
–
right here.” He tapped his neck.
Taking a deep breath, she smiled at her new mate and repeated.
“I claim you as my mate.
“I belong to you as you belong to me.
“I give you my heart and my body.
“I will protect you even with my life.
“I give you all I am.
“I share my half of our soul to complete you.”
El sucked in a startled breath. She swore she felt their souls combining, wrapping, and entangling like lovers’ limbs. A happy laugh bubbled up as she continued.
“I share my magic with you.”
He leaned closer and turned his neck to her lips so she could place her bite.
El kissed the spot she was about to mark and then copied exactly what he had done. She lapped at the spot, once, twice, and as she licked a third time, razor-sharp canines erupted. At first the new teeth felt odd behind her lips. Too large, but instinct took over, and she bit down piercing his flesh.
Stefan moaned in ecstasy as her teeth sank deep. He strained to still his grinding hips until she released his neck, shaking like a crack addict with the effort.
She licked her mark to sooth the bite and planted one last kiss before he rose from her reach.
“I beseech the great Luna Goddess to bless you and your wolf guardian.
“You are my mate to cherish today and for all time.
“I claim you as my mate.”
The ritual words completed, now he could love her all he wanted.
“I love you, El Le Beau, with everything I am.”
“I love you, too, Stefan Le Beau. More than I ever dreamed possible.”
He started a slow, deep thrusting rhythm with a huge, goofy smile on his face. He was so incredibly happy he thought his heart would burst with the volume of love he was feeling.
Pulling almost completely out before sliding all the way back to the hilt. One slow, deep stroke after another, each winding her desire higher.
El growled, and before he knew what was happening she flipped them so she was on top.
“Move it or lose it, Le Beau.” She grinned and began riding him like he had never been ridden in his life.
A joyous laugh burst from him as he gripped her hips raising her up and dropping her down onto his aching cock over and over.
“Wahoo!” El hollered like a cowgirl and laughed. She was determined to ride him hard and put him up wet.
After tonight, he would never remember a single woman he had ever taken to bed.
“I can’t believe you’re mine, really mine,” Stefan panted. “Mon dieu! You’re so tight, you feel fantastic.”
Her body began to clamp down on him and ripple.
“STEFAN!”
She screamed his name in orgasm, right before he joined her in ultimate bliss, the likes of which he had never experienced before.
Gasping, she collapsed onto his chest.
Stefan chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair and back as they caught their breath.
“I need to move,” El mumbled into his chest.
“Here, let me help you.” Stefan helped her roll to the side.
She sighed and laid there, arms stretched wide with one flopped over his chest.
His mate was so beautiful, completely sated. He puffed up with pride, honored to be the one allowed to put that expression on her beautiful face.
“That was incredible,” she panted.
“Yes, you were,” he laughed. “Now you’re stuck with me.”
“Oh, baby, not yet. There’s more.”
He frowned at her. Didn’t she realize the ritual was completed? There was no going back.
El patted his chest with what little energy she could muster. “Catch your breath and find some new pants. Those over there,” she indicated, “look dead.”
“Nope.” He shook his head grinning. “I’m not leaving this bed for the rest of the night.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” El grunted with the effort of sitting up so she could find her clothes.
“Where in blazes are you going, woman?”
“Back to the party, meet you there when you pull your lazy ass together,” she teased.
She scooted out of reach before he could grab her. Then she headed for the door, clothes bundled in her arms before he could stop her.
He grumbled something unintelligible as he dressed to join her on the front lawn.
“Now, are you going to tell me why I’m no longer holding your incredible naked body against mine?”
“You’ll see.” She grinned, eyes shining.
Stefan scowled at her behavior but wisely didn’t question her.
They cleared the shadows and entered the well-lit party. Emma clapped excitedly as Isaac bounded onto the stage.
“Everyone, please take a seat. We have a wedding to witness.”
Stefan stared at his father, confused, and when he looked at El, she was grinning brightly at him.
She pulled a platinum wedding band from her pocket and took both of his hands.
“Stefan Le Beau, will you marry me? Right here? Right now?”
“Hell, yes!”
The crowd erupted in cheers as Stefan and El worked their way to the stage.
A minister joined them, and from the back of the crowd, Cade led El’s grand-mère
Marie to join her as maid of honor.
Stefan began to panic. He didn’t have a ring for El. Someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to find his mother smiling brightly with a very stunning and yet simple wedding band between her fingers. It had a wide row of square diamonds embedded all the way around the band, creating a gorgeous ring fitting his bride while also providing a completely smooth surface. It was perfect.
He hadn’t thought this night could get any better. Once again, his mate proved him wrong.
Ten minutes later, he was not only mated to the woman of his dreams, but married as well.
His mate was definitely going to make the rest of his life one wild, fantastic ride.
The gathering quickly transformed into a wedding reception. A cake appeared on the buffet table and waiters were offering champagne glasses to the guests.
“When did you plan all this?”
“To be honest, I didn’t. Rose did it all.”
“The woman is amazing.”
“Yes, she is,” Simon said as he walked up to congratulate his brother and new sister-in-law.
“Have you chosen a person to lead the pack run?”
“Can we do that with all the humans present?” Stefan asked concerned.
“Father said since they all know about shifters already, there’s no reason to leave out the tradition of a run.”
“All right, who do you suggest?”
Simon rubbed his chin in thought. “How about Lucas?”
“Can you ask him to start the toast and the shift? I need to take El home for her first shift and then we’ll join the pack.”
“Are you ready to try shifting?” he asked her.
“Are you kidding?” She grabbed his hand and started pulling him from the party.
Stefan laughed at her excitement and jogged home with her. He led her to the living room and now stood, hands on hips, scoping the space.
“I think if I push those chairs back we should be good.”
They each grabbed hold of a Lazy-Boy and shoved them to the wall. El brushed off her hands and grinned.
“So, now what?”
“One of the ladies shifted for you, right?”
“Yes,” she nodded.
“I think since you have already seen a shift, I’ll remain human and try to talk you through it. Unless you want to see me shift first.”
“No, I think I’m ready.”
“Close your eyes and visualize yourself as a wolf. Imagine you have fur on your body and a tail. Your hands and feet are paws. You don’t need to worry about exact things like color and size, just the general aspects of a wolf. Be sure to imagine all this without clothes or you will end up like Anna did.” He chuckled.
El nodded as he spoke, then closed her eyes and cleared her mind. She visualized a wolf she had seen the other day on National Geographic. A breath later a beautiful, glossy brown wolf stood in the center of the room.
Her wolf’s head turned toward him and gave him its best wolfy grin.
Stefan scratched behind her ear. “I knew you would be a natural at shifting. Okay, my turn, but we should step outside first.” He raised his hands and wiggled his thumbs. “Doorknobs are an issue.”
He held the door for El’s wolf and shifted on the run as they raced to the reception.
*****
The moment Stefan and El headed home the band had taken the stage for a few songs to celebrate the nuptials before the formal toast was made. Lucas yelled, “Devil went down to Georgia” and about thirty people lined up for the line dance.
As El and Stefan reached the edge of the party, stomping boot heels and laughing spectators greeted them. Of course Lucas was in the middle of it all. When the song ended Lucas leapt onto the stage, panting and grinning ear to ear. “Now, that’s what I call fun!”
The crowd whooped and hollered.
He raised his hands and waited for the crowd to quiet down.
“Stefan has been blessed by our goddess with an incredible woman. She’s tough as nails and solid as a rock. My brother is a damn lucky man to have her as his mate.” Lucas raised his glass. “Let us raise our glasses in a toast to Stefan and El.”
The band raised their glasses along with the crowd. Then everyone shouted, “To Lord Stefan and Lady El. May they live a long and happy life together.”
Every empty glass was then banged on the tabletops three times.
Once the crowd quieted again, Lucas placed the microphone in its stand and held up his right arm. The instant he dropped it to his side, every wolf in the place shifted. Wolves of every color and size stood where the party guests had been. Humans remained scattered amongst the pack of black, brown, white, gray, and every shade in between.
El’s chocolate wolf glanced to the stage where a gray and white wolf peppered with black now stood. She would know Lucas’s bright blue eyes anywhere.
Lucas gave a yip and leapt from the stage, racing around the bandstand toward the woods. Every wolf in the pack, including Stefan and El, let out yips and howls and raced after him. An eerie chorus from the pack was heard as it faded into the forest and disappeared from sight.
Thomas slowly surveyed the remaining humans. He didn’t sense a threat, and as the band began to play many enjoyed the dance floor.
As he turned to retake his post on the deck, he found a good-sized cream-colored wolf gazing at him with its head cocked.
“Shouldn’t you be with the pack?”
Thomas took a step back when the wolf instantly became the pesky woman, Julia. Dang it, he’d get used to their shifting one of these days.
“No, I changed my mind and I decided to stay here.” She tentatively held out a hand. “Would you dance with me, Thomas?”
He was about to say no, he was busy and didn’t have time to waste dancing when his dang hand accepted hers.
What am I doing?
An hour later the pack returned. Normally the run would go for hours, but there were humans to consider waiting for them at the reception.
Stefan nudged El’s wolf toward their house. He wasn’t going to have her try to shift back in front of an audience. Damn good thing too, because on her first try she was as naked as the day she was born. Of course, knowing her, she may have done it on purpose.
Stefan’s gaze immediately heated. “Mrs. Le Beau, our honeymoon just started.” He scooped a giggling El into his arms, then proceeded to kiss her senseless as he carried her to the bedroom and kicked the door shut.
Continue reading for the Prologue of