Island Stripe Pride - Chapter 28: Chapter 28

Alex could not believe the vision that was his mate. Maggie wore a dream of a dress. The navy-blue chiffon clung to her curves. The deep scoop neck outlined her breasts, highlighting her spectacular cleavage. The material cinched at the waist, showing off her tantalizing figure before falling in asymmetrical layers past her hips and stopping around mid-calf.
It was gorgeous on her. He could not wait to take it off. True mates would only ever want each other more as time went on, and already his cock throbbed painfully in his suit.
Why the fuck had he worn the thing? Then he remembered. It was his Maggie’s birthday, and he wanted to treat her to a special evening. She was so worth it. Even if he died of blue balls in the meantime.
“I’ve never been here,” she exclaimed as the waiter seated them at a secluded table just like he’d asked for.
“Do you like Italian food?”
“Of course,” she smiled and tossed her honey-colored curls behind her shoulder, “Who doesn’t?”
“That’s just what I said,” he grinned.
“What are we having?”
“I hope you don’t mind. Giovanni, the owner, told me he had an uncanny knack for ordering what people wanted when he meets them. Ah, here he comes,” Alex took her hand and sat back as the older man came towards them.
“Signore Kensington! Bene! I see you have arrived, and with your lovely Margharetta, ciao bellissima,” he bowed to them both, but made no move to touch either of them.
Of course, he was a Wolf Shifter. He probably understood better than most how volatile a newly mated male was around his female. Alex smiled and exchanged greetings.
“I will make an unbelievably beautiful dinner for you both. Trust in me, eh?” he winked before making his exit.
“Wow,” Maggie laughed, and the sound was hypnotic, bringing joy to his heart like he’d never felt before, “He is quite the character. Thank you for this. You are spoiling me, you know.”
What could he say? He’d made her happy, and there was no greater joy to a mated male than bringing a smile to his woman’s face.
“I hope you like it, Maggie mine, because I intend to spoil you for a very long time.”
“Oh yeah, promise?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good,” she said.
Alex poured wine, and they talked about the hotel, her app, and his career at ISP. He wanted her to feel secure in their relationship, and to know she came first. Always.
“So, will you be leaving soon,” she frowned when he mentioned the ISP headquarters was in Manhattan.
“Leaving? You? Never!” he almost choked on his wine.
“Oh, I wasn’t sure, when you said,” she fidgeted with her napkin, but he was already moving closer to her in the booth.
Alex took her face in his hands and lifted until her hazel eyes met his. He kissed her lips once, twice, three times for good measure.
“I love you, kit, I told you that,” he growled softly, “I’m not going anywhere.”
“But you said the offices-”
“Dean’s office. Not mine. My office is wherever I want it. Yes, I might have to drive into town for a meeting or two every couple of months, but I am not leaving your side, Maggie mine. We are mated. That’s for life.”
“Is it?” she leaned into him, her voice a breathless whisper but he heard her loud and clear.
“Oh, yes, love. You are mine and I am yours, for life,” he took her mouth once more, ignoring the sound of someone clearing their throat.
That was followed by some discreetly whispered Italian. Alex turned a deaf ear to them all. Nothing and no one were more important than the navy clad woman in his arms.
She felt so good there. Perfect. Like she was born precisely to fill that space just there. After he dropped a few bills on the table, Alex led her outside.
“I forgot to ask you when we left, where is your Jeep?”
Alex held the door to the sleek black Jaguar he usually drove and helped her inside. After he rounded the car and took his place behind the wheel.
“Oh, uh, the Jeep is not mine. It’s, um, well, it’s Jo-Jo’s.”
“You bought Joelle a car?” she asked, eyebrows disappearing into her hairline.
“She gave me some information, and I paid her,” he nodded, leaving it at that.
“You paid her with a sixty-thousand-dollar vehicle?”
“The data was priceless, kit.”
“Really? And what was it about?”
“Come on, a man has to have some secrets.”
“I see, and would my sister have given you some of mine, maybe?” she narrowed her eyes at him.
“That is a distinct possibility, but I assure you I intend to use the knowledge only for good, kit,” he winked.
“Okay. Where to now, Mr. Money-bags?”
“Awe, kit, don’t be like that,” he had the grace to blush at least.
“I’m teasing,” she smiled, and he could tell it was genuine, not forced, “I would never tell you what to do with your money. Besides, I am sure Joelle is thrilled. Now, care to tell me what data she gave you.”
“Sorry, kit,” he cleared his throat, “that’s classified.”
“I bet.”
He pulled up to the empty lot beside the brand-new Oasis sign that graced the corner of the hotel, and she frowned, wondering what he was up to.
“What are we doing here?”
“It’s a surprise,” he offered her his hand, and helped her out of the car.
Tiny spikes of pleasure zipped up and down his spine at the slight contact, and his Tiger chuffed in anticipation as he led her to the beach path he’d had cleaned and marked through the sand dunes that gave way to a section of protected lands owned by the local Pack.
Rafe Maccon was a fierce protector of the beaches and wild lands in South Jersey. Something his mate passionately believed in, and Alex supported wholeheartedly.
“What is this?” she exclaimed when they arrived at the setup, he’d planned for her when she’d been dressing earlier that evening.
Alex smiled as he watched Maggie kick off her heels, and amble towards the gossamer fabric that floated in the breeze, hanging from the frame of the private wooden cabana he’d had erected.
She looked like a nymph freshly risen from the sea. The layers of her dress flapped around her body as she spun in a circle to face him, framing her curves in midnight blue.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, struggling for air.
It felt like his heart was caught in a vise. Truth? Fuck yeah. She was glorious. Standing there, all soft and glowing, bathed in the silvery light from the full moon. Maggie’s honeyed curls shone, as did her sparkling hazel eyes, as she blinked up at him.
Without her shoes, she was nearly a foot shorter, but to him, she was perfect. Alex did not want to move. He feared breaking the spell, but she called to him. He wanted her. Couldn’t stay away if he tried. And that was something he did not want, ever.
Mine, his Tiger chuffed.
Eyelids lowered as she looked him over from head to toe, and the caramel scent of her arousal tickled his nostrils. Yes, he wanted her.
Like the Cat he was, he moved easily over the sand. But before he could touch her, that wanton look in her eyes was replaced by something else. He recognized the look and his Tiger roared in fury.
“Alex,” she doubled over in pain, but before she fell to the ground, he was there.
Scooping her up in his arms, Alex laid her down on the chaise lounge inside the cabana.
“Maggie,” he called to her, but she was lost to whatever was going on.
Pain. That was all that registered. His mate was hurting, and he didn’t know what the fuck to do about it. He grabbed his cell and called the one person who might be able to help.
“This is Dean,” his Neta’s voice soothed his agitated beast, and quickly he told him what was happening.
“Fuck, Dean, she is pale,” he said, kneeling at her side.
“Just do what you can to calm her, Alex, and let us know what happens,” the man said before hanging up.
“Kit,” he said and brushed her hair away from her face, “Talk to me. Please. Tell me what you are feeling.”
“Hurts,” she moaned, tugging on her dress, “Too tight.”
“Here,” he rolled her gently to her side and unzipped the fabric, cursing when he saw she was nude beneath the dress, “Fuck. Kit, if I knew you were naked under that dress, we would have never gotten out the door.”
“I know,” she laughed then whimpered, and he slid the dress off her shoulders, wincing as she shuddered at the slight brush of fabric along her skin.
“Burns,” she moaned.
“I know, listen, don’t fight it. Dean says you need to allow the Change.”
“What?”
Her hazel eyes widened, and he so wanted to touch her, but knew it would feel like razors on her body at that moment. He had to wait. To talk her through the process.
“You see, kit, when I bit you, the Fates that brought us together further blessed our union with the Puspa. You’re becoming a Shifter,” he said, “I knew there was a possibility, but I did not think. That is. Fuck. I am sorry, kit. So sorry you are hurting.”
“Oh,” she closed her eyes as another wave of pain raced through her bones.
“Let it happen, brave sweet Maggie mine. Embrace your inner animal. Let her out. Come on, kit,” he growled, hoping to coax her beast forward quickly and painlessly.
Alex had an idea then. He stood up, ripping away his expensive suit and tossing it in the sand without care. And he didn’t. Not about anything but her. Her eyes glowed a greenish gold and she whimpered but watched him strip down to his skin.
He saw the moment her eyes latched onto that male part of him that was already semi-hard under her stare. Yes, that was what he wanted.
“Look, mate, I am ready for you. But first, we run together, then I will bring you back here. Claim you under the stars,” his voice was deep with his Tiger, and he dropped down and Changed instantly, hoping to coax his mate’s own Shift from her.
“Mate,” she growled, and turned to face his animal with glowing eyes.
Alex waited patiently while her bones cracked and muscles tore, reknitting, and reshaping until she stood before him. Her soft, honey-colored fur was thick and glossy, and when she turned to face him, his Cat yowled in appreciation.
Maggie was gorgeous. With striped markings on her snout and ears, the rest of her fur was all amber gold. He’d never heard of anything like this, but he couldn’t be happier. He waited, knowing the moment she was fully transformed.
Maggie’s tongue lolled out of her mouth and she shook herself off before moving forward carefully. Alex had no such control. He pounced. Knocking his Wolfish mate over until they were both so caught up in their game, they hardly noticed the hours speed away.
His mate had received the gift of the Puspa, but she was not a Tiger like he’d thought she would be. She was a Wolf, with Tiger markings on her face, and so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her. When the sun began to rise, he Shifted back, and waited for her to do the same.
If seeing her in her fur was poignant, it was nothing compared to watching her walk towards him in nothing but her skin. Eyes bright with joy, she leapt into his arms, and he caught her. He always would.
Mine.
Alex carried her to the chaise, glad for the seclusion. He could not wait another moment. And apparently neither could she.
“Alex,” she moaned and cradled him in the apex of her thighs, hissing with pleasure as he pressed inside her slick and waiting heat.
“Mate,” he growled, taking her lips with his in a kiss that was all-consuming.
There was no room for doubts, not anymore, and he knew Maggie felt it too. It was in the glow of her eyes as he inched his cock into her. Like sweet, slow torture.
Her sex gripped him hard. Honey wetness bathing him in her heat, Alex growled and withdrew before diving right back in. He wanted her with a ferocity he’d never known, and he didn’t have to hold back any longer. She was a Shifter now. His sweet Maggie felt the pull.
Holy fuck. He arched as her nails scored his back, and she flexed, flipping him over. Thank god he went for the double chaise when he’d ordered the furniture.
“Mine,” she practically purred as she sat up, taking him deeper still.
Alex rose with her, sucking one ripe breast into his mouth as she rocked her hips, riding him good and hard. She tugged on his head and he looked up, flicking his tongue over her other offered nubbin. In this, like in everything, Alex was her slave.
He would always give his mate what she craved. Hands on her waist he lifted her, then slammed her back down. The heated look and moan she gave told him it was the right thing to do.
Up and down. Again, and again. He swallowed her moans, made her cry out, and relished every single sound. The harder he thrust, the more she wept honey onto his cock. And the more his Tiger loved it. Loved her. Every inch of her was glorious and his.
His balls ached with the need to come, but he held on. Just. Another thrust. Another flex. Faster. Harder. Grind. Grind. Thrust.
“Alex,” she growled, tilting his head to the side just as her sex began to ripple and squeeze his shaft, “Mine,” she roared and struck with her new fangs.
Holy hell! She bit him. Marked him. Claimed him. And Alex came hard and deep, bathing her womb with his seed.
A flare of light pulsed between them, then a thousand golden threads wove around the two of them.
“What?” she whimpered, slumped into him, exhaustion making her boneless.
“It’s our matebond, love,” he kissed her forehead, trying still to catch his breath.
The magic of their union settled over them, and Alex had never felt so damn complete in his whole life.
“Mate,” he murmured.
“Alex?”
“Yeah, kit?”
“What’s on the roof?”
The question was so simple, and yet, Alex found the words stuck in his throat. How could he tell her he’d planned a holiday getaway for Shifters and their families designed specifically with their family in mind?
She might think he was a bit presumptuous, but fuck it. She was his mate. They’d have a family someday, and all he could think about was giving their cubs, and even Joelle, a safe place to play without fear of giving their true natures away.
The Macconwood Pack always claimed that Pack was family, and they were right. Pack was family. His family.
His Tiger chuffed happily at the thought. His new sister-in-law, and now his mate, were the two most beautiful Wolves he’d ever seen. He was proud and happy, heart bursting with joy to be in their lives.
The rooftop at Oasis was a symbol of that coming together. A place for Pack and Pride. For family. Their family.
“Alex?”
“You’ll see, kit,” Alex said, and smiled against her hair.