Mate Set (11 page)

When she was sure that she wouldn’t burst into tears or storm out there and tell him

off, she dried off and walked back into her room.

The bedroom door was still closed the way she’d left it. She listened but didn’t hear

anything coming from the other side of the door. She figured that Grady must have just

gone to bed since she’d have heard the television if he had it on. She walked to the

scene of the crime and yanked down her comforter. She climbed naked into her bed and

reached for the light switch over her head on the wall. The room went totally dark.

Mika couldn’t sleep. Why was Grady acting the way he was? Would it kill him to

sleep with her and to share her bed? He had no qualms about burying his face between

her thighs or burying his cock to the hilt inside her. That was damn personal. Sleeping

in a bed with her obviously wasn’t a line he wanted to cross. She decided he was a total

jerk and a major asshole.

Gritting her teeth, she flipped over onto her stomach and sighed, knowing she

should be tired. It was almost eleven-thirty at night and she’d gotten up at eight. At

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home she usually went to bed at ten. She sighed again and flipped back over. Maybe

some more sexual release would put her out. She stuck her finger in her mouth, wet her

index finger, and spread her thighs. She closed her eyes and put an image of Grady in

her mind. It turned her on remembering he had one hell of a body, picturing him naked

as she rubbed her clit.

She softly moaned at the thought of what Grady’s mouth could do to her and

spread her knees wider. She drew circles around her clit, imagining it was his tongue.

She tilted her head back and bit her lip. It didn’t take her long to get to the point where

she was ready to come. She tensed and softly cried out as pleasure tore through her. She

sighed and shut her legs, withdrawing her hand from under the covers as her body

relaxed and she tried to calm her pounding heart.

Her bedroom door came crashing open, loudly slamming into the wall, and Mika

lunged for the light switch. She heard a growl and then her bed dipped. She flipped the

light on right as the covers were torn from her body. She stared in shock at a naked and

very aroused Grady glaring at her. He was on his knees on her bed by her knees. She

couldn’t miss the hard-on that was pointing right at her.

“If you really wanted me to share your bed all you had to do was say so,” he

ground out harshly. His hand gripped her leg, yanked her flat on her back and shoved

her thighs apart before he came down on her. “Don’t ever torment me again. I could

hear every breath, every moan, and every other sound you made while you touched

yourself.”

Mika cried out in sudden pleasure as Grady entered her. He gripped her arms,

jerking them above her head, and used his elbows to support his upper body weight, to

keep from crushing her. His hold was tight but not painful on her wrists. He started to

move in her in deep, long strokes. Mika wrapped her thighs around his hips and curled

her legs over the back of his ass.

Intense pleasure hit her while Grady fucked her hard and fast. He drove in and out

of her. She wound her arms around his neck and clung to him as their bodies moved

together when he released her wrists. He tensed and she felt him jerk on her. He

groaned and came. She noticed that he kept his face turned to the side, his teeth far

from her skin.

Disappointment hit Mika. Grady cursed softly and then was rolling them over. His

large, strong hands gripped her. He moved her so she was straddling his lap sitting up

on top of him. He was still hard inside her. He released her and lifted her with his hips,

driving into her. One of his hands gripped her hip to steady her while his other hand

reached between them to rub against her clit while he bucked her on his hips. In less

than a minute Mika came hard.

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Laurann Dohner

Chapter Six

Mika woke up alone. The bedroom door was open, allowing the smell of coffee to

lure her into crawling out of bed. She winced a little as sore muscles protested. She was

a little tender between her thighs in that day-after-too-much-sex way.

Grady had growled the night before as she sprawled on his chest, panting after he’d

made her come. Mika had just lain there, letting the aftermath turn her into jelly. She

had breathed in that wonderful scent Grady’s skin put off and listened to his heartbeat

pounding in her ear. He was damn warm, large, and comfortable to lie on. Mika had

drifted to sleep on top of him the night before.

She studied her bed as she climbed out of it. Had Grady spent the entire night with

her? He’s accused her of tormenting him.
What the hell was that about
? She sighed and

stumbled to the bathroom. Her mind gave her simple instructions—
use the bathroom,

brush your teeth, take a fast shower
. Zombielike, she stumbled through her morning habits.

Ten minutes later when Mika walked out of her room, still damp and wearing a

robe, Grady was in the kitchen. His hair was wet and she knew he’d showered too. He

was leaning against the counter holding a coffee mug in one hand and a cell phone held

to his ear with his other. His dark gaze fixed on her but no emotion showed on his face.

“I’m going to have to put that off.” His voice was soft as he spoke, looking away

from her. “I’m sorry. I know we had plans.” He pushed away from the counter and

walked around Mika. He was careful to not touch her as he moved into the living room.

“I got assigned pack duty and I can’t take off for a weekend.”

Mika walked to the coffeepot and poured some into a mug. She cocked her head,

straining to hear anything but it was silent, as though Grady were listening to someone.

She couldn’t see him since he’d moved out of the room. She hesitated and then tiptoed

over to the wall and pressed her ear against it.

“I know it’s mating season and I know we had planned on spending the weekend

together, Megan. I just can’t get out of this because its pack related. You know how that

goes. Your job with your pack is important to you and so is mine as an enforcer. I was

looking forward to a few days of no-holds-barred animal sex with you myself. We’ll do

this in a few weeks when our schedules clear up again.”

Mika hated the raw pain that sliced through her as she realized he was on the

phone with a woman. That no-holds-barred-animal-sex comment had hit her as the

verbal slap that it was. She reeled away and walked back to the sink to stare out the

kitchen window. Tears filled her eyes, blinding her, and she hated them. It hurt that

Grady was talking to another woman, obviously a werewolf bitch, and possibly the one

he’d mate with when he wanted to settle down. He said they’d meet up in a few weeks

so he was definitely planning on fucking that bitch.

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She closed her eyes, frantically fighting more tears, and just stood there trying to get

hold of her emotions. The real problem was that she was having them. She was falling

for Grady as fast as if a ton of cement hung around her neck and he was never going to

fall too. He’d slept in her bed but he was talking on the phone to another woman,

making plans to meet up with her in the near future. She admitted it hurt and she was

jealous.

“Morning,” Grady said from behind her.

She kept her eyes closed, refusing to acknowledge him as she took deep breaths

until she knew she had the urge to cry under control. She opened her eyes, sipped her

coffee and stared out the window to avoid looking at him. She needed to get a leash on

her temper that was rising fast because anger was how she handled the raw pain of

knowing he wanted to be with another woman instead of her.

Mika wanted to be honest with herself. He was only with her because he’d been

ordered to protect her. He’d been forced to live with her and if he hadn’t marked her,

he’d probably still be refusing to touch her.
Life sucks
, she determined.

“Mika? I said ‘morning’.”

She didn’t turn to face him. “I heard you.”

He was silent but she could sense him watching her. “Are you all right? Did I hurt

you?”

He had no damn idea how much. She remained silent. She didn’t turn but she just

knew he was slowly drawing closer. She felt him directly behind her though he didn’t

touch her.

“Mika? I know I hurt you. Do you need a doctor? Was I too rough with you?”

“It must be hell for you.” She kept her voice soft.

Long seconds passed in a room too quiet. “What must be hell?”

She slowly turned then and set her coffee cup on the counter next to her so she

wasn’t tempted to chuck it at his head. She forced herself to look up at Grady. Only a

foot separated them. “Having to be with me instead of who you want to be with. I’m

really sorry that I ruined your plans for the weekend and I’m really damn sorry that

you have to put up with me for the next two weeks. Duty must a hellish thing for you

right now. Excuse me. I’m in need of some space so I’ll be in my room alone.”

Grady’s face paled slightly. She inched sideways, and walked quickly away from

him. She didn’t want to be in the same room with him. She heard him softly curse as

she left the kitchen but she didn’t look back. She walked to her bedroom and closed the

door.

It was insane to fall for someone too fast. She must have lost her damn mind. He’d

saved her twice, given her mind-blowing sex repeatedly, and he certainly was too damn

attractive to ignore. She walked to her dresser. She needed to be away from him to clear

her head, even if it was just to hide away in her bedroom.

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Laurann Dohner

She put on jeans, a T-shirt, and running shoes. She studied her reflection as she

brushed out her damp hair and pulled it into a ponytail. She was going to get hurt even

worse by the time this was over. Spending one night with the guy was already affecting

her to the point that she’d had to fight bawling like a baby in the kitchen. What would

happen when it was time to go? After getting used to touching and having Grady

around, it would be hell when it ended. She shook her head sadly. It would be really

damn stupid to set herself up for that kind of pain. She wasn’t psychic but she knew

she’d fall harder for the guy.

He wanted a werewolf mate. Hell, what could she offer him anyway? Her life was

in Orange County. She’d have to give up her shitty apartment and have to quit the job

she couldn’t even stand. She’d never see her friends who were in relationships and who

barely found time for her. She winced. The truth hurt. Giving up her life in Orange

County wouldn’t be difficult at all.

Mika sighed. If Grady wanted to mate her she’d go for it even if it was totally nuts

since she barely knew him. Giving up her life in California wouldn’t be a hardship and

she’d have a sexy hot man in her bed every night if he mated her. He had a job so he

wasn’t a loser and they could live in her house. It was probably bigger than his place

over his bar. Besides, she loved her house and had wanted to move in full-time once

before. Uncle Omar would have to accept it if she mated Grady.

Spinning away from the mirror, she was totally disgusted with herself for even

having those stupid thoughts. Grady didn’t want her that way so going over how nuts

it would be to mate with the guy was a moot point. Imagining little Grady babies was

just ridiculous. She bet that any kids she had with him would be damn cute and she

really wanted kids. Mika clenched her teeth and walked over to collapse heavily on her

bed.

Grady was a werewolf and she wasn’t. They were either born or brutally made. She

knew it was usually a deadly attempt when someone tried to turn a human into a

werewolf. Uncle Omar had explained that to her when she was a child and had wanted

to turn into a puppy and run with her uncle in his wolf form.

It was all about biting, blood loss, and near death to get someone to turn into a

werewolf. The bite would have to come from a werewolf in full wolf form. There had to

be massive blood loss and shock to the body, taking the person to death’s door, and

then there was just a slight chance the body would accept being turned. More died from

trauma than those who survived the attempted change. Uncle Omar said only about

one in twenty survived long enough to let the process take hold so their bodies could

heal to survive.

No.
Even if she was willing to attempt being turned into a werewolf, and she

wasn’t, there was no way it would be allowed. Uncle Omar would kill anyone who

even suggested it. She really didn’t want to tie herself down to a man who wanted her

to be brutally bitten, with just a prayer that she’d survive. She realized chivalry had

died but she wanted a man in her life who would do anything to protect her from hurt.

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The drawbacks to mating a werewolf as a human were well known to her. Her

parents had been harassed and not accepted by the pack. They’d moved away to avoid

it but Grady would never leave. She and Grady would have to deal with that kind of