Carlos sucks and kisses my neck, groaning. I get the feeling he’s still coming back to consciousness. “Sedona, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to-” The fingers I’m using on my clit scrape the base of his cock and he catches my wrist, pulling it up in front of our faces. “What is this?” His accent is so thick, so sexy. He takes my fingers into his mouth and sucks.
My pussy contracts as if he were sucking down there.
“Mi amor, you don’t touch yourself when you’re in bed with me. That’s my job.”
My heart, already racing from our interlude, picks up speed at the gravelly scolding.
He sucks my fingers again. “Mmm. You taste delicious, ángel. I’m sorry I didn’t do my job well this time. I was, uh…”
“Asleep?” I giggle.
He drops his head into my neck and laughs. “I’m so sorry,” he groans. “Did I hurt you? Are you all right?”
“I’m okay.”
He lifts his head, peering into my face with an intensity that makes my pulse jump. “You sure? I didn’t mean to do that to you, beautiful. I jacked off before I came to bed so I wouldn’t force myself on you, and then I went and did it in my sleep. Without protection.”
He looks so genuinely rueful.
“I would’ve stopped you if I didn’t like it.”
A look of wonder creeps over his face. “It was okay? You liked it?”
“I knew you were asleep. I was sort of amazed that you got so far with me without waking up. There ought to be an award for that or something.”
He’s still slowly pumping into me, even though we’ve both come and his cock is softening. He reaches between my legs and taps my clit lightly. “I deserve no award if you had to satisfy yourself, mi amor.”
A second aftershock ripples through me. A little one this time, but no less pleasurable.
“Never again.” He’s pulling out the bossy tone once more. “I will be the one to give you pleasure, ángel. It’s my duty. One I promise to take very seriously.”
I want to giggle but he sounds dead serious. Like he’s swearing a vow on his father’s grave.
“O-okay.” I don’t know what else to say.
He lands an epic bite-suck-kiss on my neck. “Nobody else touches this,” he growls, his voice low with warning. “Not even you.”
I shiver at the possibility of more punishment at his hands if I disobey. The idea thrills me and I can hardly wait to try it out, but I play along. “Okay.”
He nips the outer shell of my ear. “Good girl.”
Warmth curls through me at his words and I settle back into his arms. Maybe I will be able to fall back to sleep.
Carlos
I carry coffee and croissants from the train snack cart to where Sedona sketches on her pad. The trip from Paris to Barcelona takes six and a half hours by speed train and I’ve done everything I can think of to make things easy and enjoyable for Sedona. I bought us comfort class tickets and paid for three seats instead of two so we wouldn’t have to sit with anyone else. I set up her phone to charge in the outlet between our seats and offered her my iPod and earbuds for music.
I love to watch her work, so absorbed in her sketch of a fairy alight a flower.
She barely looks up as I set the food down on my tray, but I don’t take offense. I don’t want to intrude on her time, I’m just grateful she’s allowed me to take care of her.
I pull my phone out and call Monte Lobo. It’s Sunday, and it was my habit when away to call my mother on Sundays. Of course, she doesn’t have her own phone, since technology is banned for all but the council and alpha.
I call Don Santiago, who acts as a sort of gatekeeper for the pack. Almost all transmissions go through him. I don’t like Don Santiago-I don’t like any of the council members-but he’s probably the most capable. Like me, he went to university. He has an advanced degree, even worked for a time in a genetics lab in Mexico City. He’s been out in the world enough to understand how things work, including technology and how best to use it. He was the one responsible for getting the mountain wired for Wi-Fi despite the rest of the council’s dire predictions that connecting us to the world would lead to our destruction.
Don Santiago answers on the second ring. “Carlos.” He always goes for this hearty, grandfatherly tone with me.
“Hello, Don Santiago,” I say in Spanish. “How are things?” It’s the same conversation we had every week I was away in college.
“All is well here, mijo.” He calls me my son, which always makes me bristle.
I don’t let it slide this time. “Carlos. Or Don Carlos. Not son.” I’m pleased I can say it coolly with nary a growl.
“Of course, I’m sorry Don Carlos,” Don Santiago smooths. “It’s just that I’ve known you since you were a baby.”
“And now I’m alpha.”
“Yes, of course. No one challenges that.”
For some reason his words make the hairs on my arms stand up. He said it too quickly, too easily. As if I really do need to worry that there will be a challenge. I store that away to chew on later.
“Did you find your female, Carlos?”
I stifle a growl again. I don’t like anyone talking about my female, especially not any of the fucking council members. “I found her.”
“And?”
This time I do rumble. “I am taking her to Barcelona. A honeymoon of sorts.” I glance guiltily at Sedona, even though she doesn’t speak Spanish. I’m not sure she would appreciate my calling this a honeymoon, since she hasn’t agreed to be my mate, but I’m just saying the thing Santiago wants to hear. To get him off my fucking back. “Is my mother available?” I ask impatiently.
“I’m walking to her quarters now. Let’s see if she’s coherent today.”