Crina returned his wicked grin with one of her own. She didn’t have to give him an answer with words. She knew she was broadcasting it loud and clear through their bond.
“Have I mentioned how much I love the stamina of my Canis lupus mate?” He moved slowly down her body.
“Once or twi—” she started, but the words faded into a moan as her male took her voice away with his touch. She was going to be exhausted when it was time to get back to decorating for the big celebration, but it was going to be well worth it.
“Damn straight,” Adam murmured into her mind.
*****
“I’m being ridiculous, Dec.” Jennifer paced their bedroom. “I know I am.”
Decebel was trying to pay attention to her words, but that was difficult, considering his mate was wearing one of his large T-shirts, and the cotton only met the top of her beautiful thighs. She was distracting to him fully clothed. Partially clothed, there was no sense trying to engage him in conversation, a fact which she knew full well. “She’s torturing us,” his wolf growled. “We brought her trees. Why is she torturing us?”
Decebel mentally chuckled. His wolf was just as hungry for their mate as the man was. Always. There was rarely a moment when he didn’t want to drag her away for any amount of time, no matter how short, and have his wicked way with her.
“Dec? Are you listening?” Jennifer’s voice and snapping fingers brought him out of his fantasy.
“Do you want the truth or do you want me to placate you?” He’d learned a long time ago that there was no point in sugarcoating things with his female.
She cocked a hip out and folded her arms across her chest, which only drew his attention from her legs to her ample breasts. The fact that he wasn’t paying attention was her own fault, he decided. If she wasn’t so damn sexy, he wouldn’t have a problem staying focused when she needed him to listen and not lust after her. “Do you think I’m being ridiculous?” Jen’s voice was soft, which conflicted with her irritated body posture.
He let out a breath and forced himself to look at her lovely face. “Baby, I’ve told you already, I think what you are doing is great. I know you feel you are honoring the memory of Alina and Vasile. Could you perhaps be less like a drill sergeant and more like the caring female I know you to be? Perhaps. This celebration doesn’t have to be perfect, Jennifer. In fact, imperfections make things even more memorable. It’s those things we will laugh about later. We will cherish those imperfections over time.”
She dropped her arms and walked over to where he sat on their bed. Thia was asleep in her room, though Gavril and Rachel would have kept her. But Decebel preferred their daughter with them. Thankfully, she was a good sleeper. Decebel placed his hands on Jen’s hips and nearly sighed. He loved touching his mate, clothes or no clothes. He loved the way she felt in his hands. Decebel ran his hands down to her bare thighs and then back up again, sliding under the shirt to rest on the bare skin of her waist. Their heads were level when he was sitting because he was so much taller than her, so she didn’t have to lean down to kiss him. Her lips pressed firmly to his, and he forced himself to hold still, feeling through their bond that she wasn’t quite ready to move on. He would let her exhaust all of her words, and then he would love her until she no longer had the energy to worry.
“Less of a drill sergeant?” She pulled back.
“Yes.”
She seemed to think for a minute and then nodded. “I guess I can do that. As necessary as it is, bossing everyone around can be quite taxing.”
Decebel immediately bit his lip. There was so much he could say to that, but he really wanted to make love to his mate. So, he just smiled up at her.
Jennifer threw her head back and laughed, having caught his thoughts through their bond. It exposed her neck nicely, and the beta wolf wasn’t one to miss a perfect opportunity. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her down. A second later, he sank his teeth into her flesh at the location of his mark. Her laugh turned into a satisfied moan.
“No more talking.” His wolf growled through their bond.
“No more talking.” Jennifer’s wolf agreed.
As he released her neck, Decebel quickly relieved Jen of the shirt and then rolled until she was under him on their bed. “I love you.” He stared into her beautiful blue eyes.
“I don’t know why.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I’m not exactly easy to love.”
Oh, his precious mate. She protected her heart as fiercely as she protected those she loved. “You’re mine to love. You’re mine to care for. You’re mine to protect. And I am yours, made for you alone, to love you exactly as you need to be loved. Hush and let me show you just how much I love you.”
She didn’t argue with him. She rarely did when they were in bed. This is where his Jennifer blossomed under his dominance. It was where she let go of her need to be in control and her duty to ensure everyone and everything was taken care of. Instead, she let him have full control.
“Am I really that bad outside of our bedroom?” Her voice was slightly breathless.
“We’re both still learning what it is to be equals in our relationship, while still having specific roles. We have strengths and weaknesses, Jennifer. I love you when you submit to me, and I love you when you fight with me. I love you, every part of you. Stop worrying, baby. Stop thinking. Just let me give you what you need.”
“You.” She gave him a sexy smile.
“Exactly.”
“And what do you need?” Her voice was husky with desire.
“You, Jennifer. Only, ever, always, you.” Decebel kissed her deeply, cutting off anything else she might have said. Then he began to let his hands roam, effectively shutting off any thoughts that might have attempted to distract her. He kept her focused on him while he showed her why he was created for her and her alone.
Chapter 5
“On the fifth day of Christmas my werewolf gave to me five satisfied smiles, four hours of hotness, three growling males, two cursing pups, and a furball in a fir tree.
No, I don’t know why there weren’t more than five satisfied smiles after the mutiny from the males, and for once I’m going to mind my own business … and if you buy that, I’ve got some oceanfront property for sale in Arizona you really need to take a look at.” ~Jen
Once again everyone gathered in the kitchen for the required daily celebration committee meeting. Jacque sat in front of Slate’s highchair, feeding him his favorite jar of baby food—sweet potatoes—while Thia sat in her highchair beside them picking up handfuls of green beans and shoving them into her mouth. Jacque looked at the girl and shook her head. “That’s super attractive, Thia. Keep that up and you’ll totally be beating the boys off with a stick.”
“There will be no boys around to beat,” Decebel rumbled as he leaned down and kissed the top of his daughter’s head. Though his voice was gruff, he seemed much more relaxed, as did most everyone else in the room. Jacque smirked to herself. She noticed, though, that Sorin, Lucian, Gavril, and Wadim didn’t have the same lightheartedness the other males showed. That didn’t necessarily mean anything. Sorin, Lucian, and Gavril weren’t typically talkative, and they showed little emotion unless dealing directly with their mates. Wadim … that was a little different. He was one of the more relaxed wolves in the pack. Jacque glanced at Zara and noticed the girl concentrating much harder than necessary to make a sandwich. Wadim stood behind her, his own sandwich in hand, staring at her back as if willing her to turn around.