Warrior Invasion: A Science Fiction Alien Mail Order Bride Romance (TerraMates Book 10) (20 page)

"What? We will go on forever, years and years passing, with no one in Keelyn's family being the wiser? Then at some point we realize that so much time has passed that it would actually be detrimental to speak the truth?"

"Sounds like you've circled the logic on that a few times already, Mac." Keelyn teased.

"Ivy already thinks we're hiding something. Coming clean about my relationship with Keelyn didn't quiet her bullshit meter at all. She's still not convinced that there isn't more to it," Bane pointed out.

"She's right," Keelyn acknowledged. "She's always had a knack for scenting out the truth. If I didn't know better I'd think my sister was half bloodhound or something."

"Or weasel? I could totally see her as a weasel shifter. Or a fox. She's such a tiny, determined, smart little buggar."

"Ok, let's not get sidetracked playing guess the shifter my sister isn't. Bane, you sounded like you wanted to address something more serious."

"Life has a tendency to want to let the truth shine bright. Knowing karma, one of us will finally get the nerve to come clean. Now imagine that is the case. That one of us comes clean. Either Keelyn and I telling her mom, or Mac here telling Bella. You know how honest Mac is, it's probably killing him to hold it back as it is."

"It really is. If Bella wasn't still so tender from everything else... I just want to protect her, to hide her away from anyone, or anything, that would hurt her."

"Exactly. Now Mac, imagine that Keelyn tells first. Enid knows, spills to the sisters. All of a sudden everyone knows about me. That their precious Keelyn is mated to and marrying a werewolf. Where do you think their thoughts will immediately turn?"

"How could you?" Mac's voice rose to a high, false soprano, imitating a female in distress. "Keelyn you hunt those evil were-beasts! Now you've gone and laid down with one? You're going to tie yourself to a werewolf? You've brought those nasty creatures into our lives? Into our homes? Oh... oh, shit!"

He continued, thinking out loud, "They will immediately look to the other strangers she brought home. They'll assume..."

"Exactly. They'll assume Naythan and you are also nasty were-creatures. And they'll be right. Ok, maybe not about the nasty part, but you get my drift. Do you want Bella finding out that way? From us? Or would you rather it come from you? Or if it happens the other way, if you tell Bella before we tell? Do we want her mom to find out Keelyn's fiancé is a wolf, from Bella?"

"Oh shit," Mac repeated it again, because it bore repeating.

"See what I mean? We have to pick a time, and we have to stick to it. That way Bella's knowledge comes from you, Mac. And Enid's comes from us. Maybe we should tell everyone at once, so Ivy's there as well. But above all, we need to keep them from being blindsided. That wouldn't be fair to anyone, not if we can prevent it."

Mac thought it through. He imagined Bella hearing about who he was,
what
he was, from anyone but himself, and his heart almost broke for her, just imagining it.

"You're right. Let me gauge Bella tonight. Let's talk to Naythan and Sandra as well, then we will set a time. The last thing I want is for anyone to be blindsided. That would ruin everything."

"Ok, fair enough. I'll talk to Naythan and Sandra, you feel Bella out, and then we will pick a date. The sooner the better, in my opinion. I'm to the point where I'd rather know if we are still welcome here or not. If not, there is no reason to keep planning this wedding, we can just leave, since this is all for show and Keelyn is already my mate in every way that matters to me and the pack. If there is a chance they'll accept us, then maybe this wedding will help bring the family together. But either way, I'm done hiding. Mac?"

Mac nodded, this thoughts circling.

"I agree. We've waited too long as it is. Pretty soon it really will be past time to tell, my kidding earlier aside. Let's do this. I'm tempted to just go tell Bella now, get it done with while I still have the courage."

"Let's talk to Naythan first. We need to make sure Sandra and the baby can travel, if the worst case scenario comes to pass."

"They can travel. They could travel weeks ago, we're all only still here for the wedding, since you two want it done so soon. Absolute worst case, if they get tired, Sandra and the baby can ride Naythan."

"True, but we can't make this decision without them. He's my pack mate. I have to give him a heads up if we are planning on throwing something like this at him, especially with a brand new cub to protect."

"Ok, fine. I'll feel Bella out tonight, so I have a better idea of what I'll be dealing with. But let's plan on telling everyone everything tomorrow. Tell Naythan that I'm telling Bella tomorrow. I'd rather we do it separate than together. You two can tell Enid and Ivy. I don't feel it's my place to tell anyone but Bella. Deal?"

"Deal. Enjoy tonight, Mac," Bane teased him before they all separated, Mac to gauge Bella, and them to let Naythan know what was coming. "Tonight may be your last pleasurable evening."

Mac just nodded somberly, adding, "I hope not. You two found a way, hopefully we can, too."

* * *

M
ac had
every intention of gauging Bella's reaction with some subtle, well timed questions, but Bella herself threw a wrench into that plan.

"Kiss me, Mac. They've been running me ragged with wedding plans and baby needs. I haven't had a moment to myself all day long."

She tipped her head back, aiming her smiling face up at his, her eyes and full, plump lips just begging for a kiss, or six.

As her lips opened under his, her arms wound themselves around his neck. She stood on her tip toes to do so, pressing her soft, round body against his hard one, partially for balance, but mostly in welcome invitation.

God, he loved the taste of her tongue. He loved how she had opened up to him some, since the night he first kissed her.

She'd been cautious in her kisses, at first. It was almost like she was expecting him to turn on her suddenly, to pin her down or take more than she was willing to give.

He held himself back for her, knowing her past and what she was trying to overcome. He let her direct how hot and fast their make-out sessions progressed, happy to follow her lead instead of pushing her to give more than she made it very obvious that she was ready for.

But he also tried to make it known that he was ready for more when she was, but not before. He wanted her to enjoy his kisses, his caresses, not be on guard every second that she was in his arms. He didn't want her to be thinking three steps ahead of him, ready to block any roving hands, or to stop any trails of kisses.

He wanted her to melt into him, to be fully present during every second they tasted and teased each other, to know that he was quite content to only go down paths where she let it be known she was ready to travel.

He still had gauging her on his mind, in preparation for the truth coming out tomorrow, right up until the moment that her hands found their way under the hem of his shirt, sliding warmly up and over his stomach. She found his chest with her fingers, teasing the skin and hair there with her nails as she explored his chest before sliding her hands around behind him.

He stayed as still as he could, arms around her, kissing her, until she raked her nails gently down his back, from shoulder blades to just above his waistband. As her hands came to rest there, pressing ever so subtly, pulling his hips toward hers, he lost all thought about gauging anything about her, except how to pleasure her without scaring her. How to show her the joys of the flesh in an inviting way, so she'd feel more and more comfortable asking him for what she wanted. Or needed.

He started kissing a trail down her neck as they stood in the shadows near the swing. He nipped the skin under her ear gently, using his teeth to bring her pleasure.

He felt a surge of male pride as the sounds his kisses made her utter came out somewhere between a squeal and a moan. He felt her hands find his head, her fingers entwining in his hair as his lips and tongue teased her collar bone, before planting soft kisses over the swell of her breast above the edge of shirt.

He felt her fingers tighten in his hair.

She held him there, immobile, while she processed everything her mind was thinking as her body was feeling.

She made a decision, her fingers relaxing, her breath escaping in a soft sigh of surrender as she allowed this new liberty.

Mac groaned his acknowledgement, trying to tell her with his hands and his kisses that he wanted only to please her, to make her feel good.

He pressed his advantage, hoping she'd let him taste her breasts. He wanted to see what color her nipples were, out here in the moonlight. He wanted to watch them pucker with need. He wanted to lick them, to feel her reaction as he sucked first one, then the other, oh so gently.

He expected to be stopped at any second, at each newly bared inch of skin.

But she didn't stop him. She arched into him instead, giving him this stolen moment in the garden, giving herself up to the feel of his lips against her silky skin.

Rosy pink,
he thought with a smile as he tugged and kissed her top open enough to release one perfect bud to his gaze, right before he teased it with the tip of his tongue.

Her moaned sigh was all the encouragement he needed to start to suck.

Chapter 7

Bella's fingers tightened again, this time not in pause, or fear, but in need. Somehow her top was tugged down around her waist, her hands holding onto Mac's head for dear life, as his mouth slowly kissed every inch of her breasts.

She'd never felt anything like this before, and she would have sworn that her breath stopped each and every time he found one of her nipples with his teeth.

All she could do was hold on tight, and try not to cry out into the dark.

It was exquisite, the pull of his mouth on her beasts. Her breathing, when it did come, was labored and quick. Her hands gripped his hair harder, helping to guide his mouth even though she didn't realize she was.

She arched her back, trying to get even closer to him, and she barely noticed when one of his hands left her back and started finding its way under her skirts.

He cupped her ass suddenly, but it was gone again before she could react. He was pulling her tight to him and sliding that hand down the back of her leg, raising her knee to wrap around his waist.

His lips left her breasts and found her open mouth, sliding his tongue inside, silencing her shocked moan in the seconds before his hand retraced its path. He slid his heated palm back up her leg and cupped her ass once again, holding her knee up and her leg around him with his arm as his hand squeezed the globe of her ass, pulling her toward him even more.

He lifted her suddenly, somehow, and turned them. He sat down on the swing, her straddling him as his hands left her ass, coming out from under her skirts to cup her face.

Her eyes narrowed as she realized what he was doing. He'd backed up, heading for safer ground, before she could decide whether she wanted his hands under her skirts or not.

Now it was too late to decide. She was sitting on his lap, with his hands in a mostly innocent place, holding her face as he kissed her senseless.

She smiled against his mouth, and she kissed him back, deciding she was enjoying herself too much to chide him for moving so quickly.

As he kissed her, one hand slid down from her cheek, to cup and squeeze her still bared breast. She moaned into his mouth as his thumb teased her nipple, circling it and flicking it deliciously.

She arched her back again, as he kissed down her neck, aiming for her breasts once more. She felt her breath catch as the movement of arching her back also rocked her hips. She felt the hard thickness of him between her thighs, and without pausing to think, she widened her knees, allowing herself to settle down on his lap better.

As he sucked her nipples, teasing them with his tongue, she rocked herself against him a little. Almost shyly. Almost hoping he wouldn't notice what she was doing.

He noticed.

His sucking paused, just for a heartbeat or two, before he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tighter against him, inviting her to get closer, to rock against him some more.

He nipped her skin playfully with his teeth, before kissing her again, encouraging her with his arm around her waist to do whatever she wanted to against the bulge pressed against her.

She stayed still, at first. Her brain was working feverishly, trying to decide if this was ok. Maybe she should stop this and get up? Good girls didn't...ah hell...

He moved just then, adjusting her against him some as he reached in for a neglected spot on her neck that must have needed some kisses.

Her thoughts of good girls, and maybe I should's, disappearing in one quick bolt of pleasure as his adjustment shot a liquid need through every nerve ending she had.

She rocked her hips again, in a purely instinctive, reactionary motion, moaning his name as her panty covered clit found him and sang.

"Do that again Bella, please. I've never heard a sexier sound."