Skylar’s Devotion

Chapter Nine

The next morning, Braelyn woke up feeling sore in places she didn’t know could ache. She stretched, and some of her muscles protested the movement. She turned her head and found the spot where Skylar had slept next to her empty. Lifting her head, she looked around and saw the closed bathroom door. She also heard the sound of the shower running.

Throwing back the covers, Braelyn sat up then got out of bed. She walked over to the bathroom door and tested the doorknob. It turned in her hand. With a smile, she stepped into the steam-filled room. She kept her gaze on the opaque closed shower curtain as she tried to cross stealthily over to the bathtub.

About halfway there, Skylar said, “You have to do better than that, Braelyn, if you’re going to sneak up on me. I heard you open the door, and I can smell your scent.”

Braelyn froze in place. How could he have known she was there? The shower curtain was still drawn across the tub, and as for smelling her scent, he had to be exaggerating. The only scent she smelled was the fragrance of the hotel shampoo he’d used to wash his hair.

No longer trying to be quiet, she crossed to the end of the tub and pulled back the curtain. Her mouth went dry, and she had to swallow at the sight of Skylar gloriously naked. His water-slicked body called to her, making her want to run the bar of soap he held over every inch of him. During the night, she’d touched, licked and kissed all those enticing muscles now on display for her. She didn’t think she’d ever get sick of exploring Skylar’s body.

Holding onto the shower curtain, she stepped into the bathtub and closed it behind her. Braelyn shifted closer to Skylar and put her hands on his chest. “I think you made that up.”

He put the soap down in the soap dish attached to the wall and put his arms around her waist. “What exactly do you think I made up?”

“You being able to smell me before you saw me.”

Skylar gave her a crooked grin. “I’m supposed to be a hypothetical werewolf so hypothetically that means my sense of smell is a lot better than a mere mortal’s.”

“Mortal, huh? So your werewolf is immortal?”

“No, not immortal. Just able to live for a very, very long time. And also very, very hard to kill.”

“And how long would my supposed werewolf live?”

“Three thousand years.”

At least this time, Skylar didn’t seem panicky when they talked about him being a hypothetical werewolf. There was more of a playful sound to his voice. “That is really ancient. Wouldn’t my werewolf be old and decrepit once he reached his thousandth year?” She went on tiptoe and licked some water out of the hollow of his throat.

Skylar sucked in a breath. “No, he’s at his prime at that age.”

“So I wouldn’t have to worry about my werewolf being too old to keep me satisfied in bed? If, by some chance, I actually lived to be that old.” She skimmed her hands from his chest to his sides and dropped kisses down his pec to one of his nipples. She laved it with the flat of her tongue.

“Ah…ah, there would be nothing to worry about in that department.” Skylar groaned as she gave the same attention to his other nipple. “God, Braelyn, you’re making me horny again. I took a shower before you woke up thinking to avoid this very thing. You, wet in a shower with me, I’m going to want you.”

“It’s still early. We have another hour before we have to check out. That gives us plenty of time to put this shower to good use.”

As she slowly went lower on his body, Skylar’s hold on her waist slipped away. Dropping her hands to his hips, she went down on her knees in front of him. She ended up eye level with his fully erect cock. Braelyn didn’t think she’d ever get enough of it. Thick and long, it filled her pussy to capacity. And Skylar knew how to use it to wring the most pleasure out of her.

Braelyn licked off a few beads of water from the tip of his cock as she cupped his balls. He moaned and thrust his hips forward. She started at the base of his shaft and dragged her tongue up toward the head. It twitched, and a bit of pre-cum leaked from the slit. Her pussy clenched as an ache built deep inside it.

With a firm grasp on him, she opened her mouth and took as much as she could handle inside. As if he were still pretending to be a werewolf, Skylar let loose with a loud wolf-like growl. The sound went straight to her pussy, causing it to grow even wetter.

She bobbed her head as he slid in and out of her mouth. The salty taste, musky scent of him, and the sounds he made had her blood heating. He grew even harder. With a strangled moan, Skylar pulled her away and yanked her to her feet. He then lifted her, urging her to put her legs around his waist. He cupped her ass in his hands, held her in position and surged up into her pussy with one stroke.

Braelyn put her arms around his neck as he spread his feet to better brace himself and then moved her up and down his shaft. In a show of just how strong he actually was, Skylar thrust up into her as he continued to lift her. Her eyes drifted shut as wave after wave of pleasure washed through her, pushing her release closer to the surface.

“Keep going,” she said with a moan. “Just a little bit more.”

“Come for me, babe. I’m right there with you.”

A few more strokes and they both came at the same time. Her pussy clutched at his cock as it pulsed deep inside her. Lost in the moment, drowning in the pleasurable sensations taking her over, Braelyn cried out, “Oh god, I love you, Skylar.”

After her body settled, she realized what she’d said. Embarrassed, thinking she might have jumped the gun a bit, she tried to put her head on Skylar’s shoulder to hide her face. But he didn’t let her get away with that.

“Look at me, Braelyn,” he said in a low voice. When she reluctantly did, he ran his gaze over her face, his eyes shining with what she could only guess was the same emotion she felt. “You didn’t say anything wrong. I love you too.”

“But it’s too soon. I don’t want you to think I only said it because you gave me an incredible night of sex.”

He smiled. “It was that good, huh?” His face then grew serious. “I’m a firm believer in when you’ve met the right person you know you want to spend the rest of your life with them. I want that with you, Braelyn, and knew the instant I saw you crossing that street. I’m not ever letting you go.”

Not usually a crier, she felt herself choke up. “I’m good with that, because I doubt I could ever let you leave me. I’d end up being one of those women who stalks the man who dumped her and can’t let go.”

“There’s no chance of that happening.” Even though he was still hard, Skylar pulled out of her and let her down on her feet. She sighed in disappointment. “None of that now. There will be plenty of time for making love after we’ve taken care of business with Roxie.” He turned them and angled her under the spray of the shower. “But that doesn’t mean I have to give up the pleasure of washing every inch of you.”

It ended up being the best shower Braelyn had ever had.

Skylar couldn’t stop sneaking looks at Braelyn as he drove them to Roxie’s place to pick her up. Braelyn was his, all his. He hadn’t expected to claim her as his mate quite so soon, or without her at least knowing what he truly was, but he couldn’t complain about the end result. She loved him, had even said so out loud. And even though it had been sort of a game between them, she played along with him being a werewolf. Not that she had any inkling there was nothing hypothetical about him being one. He had high hopes she’d be able to accept him for what he was without any freaking out, especially since she’d said she would be able to handle seeing him in his wolf form. Even if she had compared him to a dog.

At the gated entrance to Beowulf and Roxie’s property, Skylar buzzed up to the house. He heard Roxie’s voice over the intercom telling him to come on up as the gate slowly swung open.

“Roxie has a nice place,” Braelyn said when they drove up the long drive.

“This was her husband, Beowulf’s, family home. His parents left it to him. He used to live here with only his younger brother, Wade. Now that Wade is married as well, he lives in Napa Valley on the vineyard his wife, Taryn, runs. So now it’s just Beowulf and Roxie, and the soon-to-be addition to their family.”

“Sounds as if you know them pretty well.”

“I do. So do the rest of my family. If we’re not here, Beowulf and Roxie are over at our place.” Skylar parked the car in the circular part of the drive, close to the front door, and turned off the engine. “A word of warning. Roxie is probably going to be a little pissed off with me. Just ignore her. She’ll settle down once all three of us have had that talk I told you about last night. I think it would be better if we held off doing that until we go to my house.”

He saw Braelyn didn’t really understand what he meant by everything he’d said from the unsure expression she wore. “This chat you want to have with Roxie, it isn’t anything bad, is it?” she asked.

“No,” he said quickly to reassure her. “Not at all. It will just be easier on me to have Roxie with us when we have this particular discussion.”

“All right.”

They both got out of the car, and Skylar linked his hand with Braelyn’s as they walked to the front door. He knocked once and opened the door. “Roxie?” he called.

“I’m in the kitchen.”

Skylar guided Braelyn through the house to the kitchen. Roxie was there drinking from a bottle of water. She smiled when she saw him, but it slipped a bit when her gaze landed on Braelyn.

“Skylar,” she said slowly, “is there a reason why you didn’t come alone?”

He steeled himself for what would come next. “Yes, a very good one.” At Roxie’s glare, he rushed ahead with the introductions. “Braelyn, this is Roxie. Roxie, this is Braelyn.”

Roxie turned her gaze onto Braelyn. “It’s nice to meet you. I’d recognize you anywhere. You’re even prettier in person.”

“Thanks,” Braelyn said. “It’s nice to meet you as well. Skylar told me you have used his family’s protection services for a while now.”

Roxie’s gaze flitted over to him briefly to give him another glare, then returned to Braelyn. “It’s true, though I was reluctant to have them around in the beginning. Now I’m used to it.” She looked at him again. “So, Skylar, did you have that chat you were supposed to have with Braelyn first, or did you take a page from your brothers’ book and went ahead and did it anyway?”

“I didn’t, and I wasn’t the only party involved. A man can only take so much before he loses his head and gives his woman what she wants.”

Roxie rolled her eyes. “How convenient. I suppose we’ll be having that chat with Braelyn later?”

“That’s what’s I planned on.” Skylar saw Braelyn looking between him and Roxie, more than likely a bit lost in the conversation going on around her. He decided it would be best to change the subject. “Well, Roxie, are you almost ready to go? We have to stop by Braelyn’s parents’ house first so she can change, then we’ll head out to Marin County.”

“I just have to grab my purse from the living room.”

“Beowulf went with the others?” Saskia had told him when she’d phone the night before that Beowulf and a few of his pack members were going to go to the meeting with Miles, but would stay out of sight unless things turned ugly and they were needed.

“Yeah. I should be okay for a few hours. I made him promise. I’m not in any condition to be going through that right now. I have enough going on.”

The “that” Roxie spoke of was the separation anxiety she’d have to go through if Beowulf didn’t show up on time. He didn’t blame her for wanting to avoid it. Now that he was mated to Braelyn, he wanted to make damn sure they didn’t have to go through it.

“Then I suggest we don’t waste any more time,” he said.

Roxie turned and put the bottle of water she held onto the counter. When she turned back to face him and Braelyn, she put a hand on her stomach and sucked in a breath.

“Are you okay, Rox?”

She waved his question away. “I’m fine. I just turned too quickly and got a cramp. I’ve been getting them lately, especially today.” She walked past him and out of the kitchen.

He and Braelyn followed her to the living room and then they went outside. Braelyn insisted Roxie sit in the front seat and she’d take the back. For her thoughtfulness, Skylar gave her a kiss, which turned into something longer than a simple meeting of lips.

The sound of his car horn blaring broke them apart. Skylar looked at Roxie who had yet to shut her door. “That wasn’t necessary.”

“Yes, it was. Either I did that or I’d sit here for god knows how long before the pair of you came up for air. I remember what it was like for Beowulf and me in the beginning. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other. Actually, we still can’t.”

Skylar gave a disgusted snort. “As if I didn’t already know that. I’ve been around both of you long enough to have witnessed firsthand. Not that I really needed to see it.”

Braelyn laughed. “The two of you sound more like brother and sister than mere friends.”

Roxie chuckled. “What do you think, Skylar? Would you like to have me as your sister?”

“Not particularly. You’d have too much fun trying to make my life a living hell.”

He shut Roxie’s door and held open the back door for Braelyn. Once she was settled, he shut that door and walked around to the driver’s side. All three of them made idle chitchat as he drove to Braelyn’s parents’ house. Roxie asked about the different fashion shoots and shows Braelyn had done. Listening to them, Skylar realized his mate had been to a lot of major cities all over the world for her career. He was just glad it wasn’t something she could do for a long period of time. Once Roxie turned her, she’d stop aging at the normal mortal rate. Braelyn would have another ten years or so and then she’d have to drop out of the spotlight.

When they arrived, Skylar pulled into the driveway behind Braelyn’s BMW, which was parked beside the Buick Regal he’d seen when he’d dropped her off after their shopping trip. After shutting off the car, he came around to help Roxie out. Braelyn led the way to the front door.

“It looks as if my mom is still home since her car is here,” she said.

“You didn’t think she would be?” he asked.

“No. It’s Wednesday, and my mom usually goes grocery shopping around this time.”

“Maybe she waited for you to get home first.”

“Maybe.”

Braelyn opened the door and walked in. Skylar and Roxie followed her inside. He closed the door behind them. “Mom?” she called. When there wasn’t any response, she said a little louder. “I’m home, Mom. Where are you?” They were still met with silence. “She doesn’t seem to be here,” Braelyn said. “But with her car in the driveway, I don’t know where she would be. Our neighbors aren’t the type to invite her over for coffee.”

Skylar sniffed the air. “She’s here, Braelyn.” He met Roxie’s gaze. “And she isn’t alone.”

Roxie nodded. “One female and one male. Both mortals.”

He looked over at Braelyn to find her looking at him strangely. “It wouldn’t be my dad; he’d be at work. And how would you two know there are a woman and man here? And mortals? That’s what you called people who are not a werewolf in our little game, Skylar. How would Roxie know that?”

“A werewolf game?” Roxie asked.

“Yes,” he said. “A game where I was a hypothetical werewolf, and we were trying to decide whether or not Braelyn could handle finding out I was one.”

Roxie smiled. “Smart.”

Braelyn shook her head. “I get the feeling you two know something I don’t.”

Skylar took both women by the elbow and led them farther into the house. “Why don’t we go look for your mother, then we’ll get to your questions.”

A quick glance into the living room showed it was empty. The fresh scent of the mortal male and the recognizable one that was Braelyn’s mother were there. Following a scent trail that headed in the direction of the flight of stairs to the upper level, he urged Roxie and Braelyn on.

Just as they reached the bottom of the staircase, Skylar felt something hard crack into the back of his head. He stumbled as Braelyn screamed. Before he could recover, he was struck again. This time it was enough to send him tumbling into darkness.