Page 25 of Keeping His Mate

Does that… Does she wish to...

Before I can obsess over her possible meaning, she presses her mouth to mine again. This time, her lips are greedy, eager, and her taste is exquisitely sweet, just like her scent.

Needing more of her, I walk forward with Elle-noor in my arms until we reach the front door. I push her back against it, grateful for the leverage it gives me. My hands drift down to her face, and I hold it in my hands, stroking my fingertips along her cheeks and jaw, reveling in her smoothness.

Our tongues tangle once I am able to match her rhythm, and she moans into my mouth the moment I do. Knowing I am improving and making her feel good makes pride surge in my chest.

“Mm, much better,” she mutters. “Fast learner.”

I chuckle. “I am.”

I want nothing more than to make Elle-noor cry out in pleasure as her soft, supple body writhes beneath me. If it is the only thing I accomplish in this life, I will consider my time well spent.

Her hand slides between our bodies and her hand covers my cock, my pants the only thing keeping her skin from mine. A growl rumbles low in my throat at the contact, and I nod at Elle-noor, so she knows it is a good sound. A sound of approval. A sound I make only for her. My lips leave hers, so I can kiss her cheek, her chin, then her neck, licking and sucking at the skin as I go. She is sweet all over, my human, and I am eager to dip my tongue between her thighs to confirm this.

Elle-noor strokes her hand up my cock, tracing the head, and then moves back down. I grit my teeth as she continues because it feels good. Too good. My hips buck in response to her strokes, but I must hold back. I cannot spill my seed in my pants, or I will look like a fool.

But I do not even get that chance because Stahn-lee nips at my pant leg, taking some of my skin between his fangs, and I howl in pain against Elle-noor’s neck.

Elle-noor freezes in my arms. “What the—”

“Stahn-lee!” I shout. When I look down, he sits, wagging his bushy tail, beaming at me as if merely saying hello.

Elle-noor laughs when I groan in annoyance. “What a cockblocker.”

“A… what?” I reply, confused.

“He ruined our sexy vibes, essentially blocking your cock from getting its needs met.”

Ah, I understand now. Human terms are often strange and nonsensical, but this one is surprisingly accurate. I look down at the pup again. “Youarea cock-block-er, Stahn-lee.”

Then I lift my gaze to Elle-noor. Her skin is flushed, and her mane is messy. She is radiant like this. I could look at her for the rest of time. I should tell her how lovely she is. That is something females enjoy hearing, yes?

My heartbeat quickens as I search my mind for the right words. A statement truly worthy of describing Elle-noor’s beauty. I feel my palms become slick with sweat as ideas pop into my head and I push them away, deeming them not good enough.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I finally utter, “Your untidy appearance does things to my cock. Good things.”

The moment the words fill the air, I wish to tear the tongue from my mouth. That statement did not match the thoughts in my head, and it certainly does not seem a worthy depiction of Elle-noor’s beauty.

“Um, thank you” is all she says with a narrowed, perplexed gaze.

She does not seem offended or angry by my words. I suppose that is something. But I know the “sexy vibes” have been effectively ruined when she steps around me to pet Stahn-lee. “I should take him outside,” she says.

“Very well,” I reply, trying to look busy by gathering the empty fluid bags Elle-noor dropped on the floor and placing them on the shelf with my ale ingredients.

She returns a few moments later with a bright smile as she whispers “Good boy” repeatedly to Stahn-lee as he wiggles in her grasp. She sets him on his feet and sidles up to me. “So, I hear your ale is terrible.”

The clan has been feeding her lies about my ale. Why am I not surprised? It seems to be a running joke among them, to mock the taste of my ale as they guzzle it down in large quantities, but I have yet to discover another clan member trying to make a better batch. I am about to explain this to Elle-noor when she says, “But I bet it’s fucking delicious.” And I am taken. My heart is no longer mine. It belongs to her. Wholly and completely.

“I must make a new batch soon,” I tell her, eyeing the casks in the basin. “Would you like to assist me?”

Her eyes widen and she bounces lightly on the balls of her feet. “I’d love to!”

“Truly?”

“Yeah,” she says, furrowing her brow. “Why do you sound so surprised?”

I shrug. “I did not expect you to be interested.”