Fat Mate (The Alpha Shifter Collection Book 8) Read online

  Plunging his tongue inside, he began to fuck her with it. Tasting her. Sliding his tongue up to her clit, he sucked it hard into his mouth, hearing her scream as he did.

  “That’s it, baby. I want to hear what I do to you. No holding back. Give it to me.”

  “Please, Dante. Shut up,” she said.

  He chuckled. Pulling away from her pussy, he flipped her over onto her knees, found her core once again, and began to pound inside her. Her fingers sank into the ground beneath her.

  This was carnal, pure, raw, everything in between, and he needed more. He had to hear her come, screaming his name as he slammed his cum so deep into her womb.

  He found her clit once more and began to stroke her. At first, he teased her, getting her arousal back up to a fever pitch, keeping her right there but not letting her find her release, and holding her steady.

  “Dante,” she said, moaning his name.

  “I’ve got you, Zadie. I’ve got you.”

  Pounding his cock inside her, he sent her over the edge, loving the pleasured screams that erupted from her lips. “That’s it, baby. Give it to me. Let me hear you.” Her pussy clamped around it, making it next to impossible for him to hold back.

  Within a few thrusts, he filled her cunt with his spunk, closing his eyes as the pleasure rushed through him, making him forget everything but Zadie.

  Their moans and pants echoed in the air around them, and neither of them could control it. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, but was probably only a few seconds, they collapsed in a heap on the ground.

  He pulled her against him, stroking the flesh of her stomach.

  “I’m … not … really thinking right now.”

  Chuckling, he kissed her shoulder. “I don’t think at all. It’s easier that way.”

  “I can’t believe we just did that. I didn’t think I could do something like that.” She turned her head, and he saw the sparkle in her eyes. “Do you think we can do that again?”

  “I want to know why you think we can’t do that again. You’re mine, Zadie. Whatever it is that you want, you can have it.”

  Chapter Ten

  Zadie held his hand as she led him away from where they just had sex, and toward the river.

  “I knew you were here, or at least someone was here, when I was talking with Bethany.”

  “You looked so lonely. I came out searching for you, and I couldn’t stand for you to be in any kind of pain.”

  He gave her hand a squeeze, and she marveled at the pleasure she got just from his touch. The thoughts she had for him were growing rapidly, every second of every day.

  “Is this what it’s like? Am I supposed to feel like this?”

  “How do you feel?” he asked.

  “Like I can’t imagine you out of my life. I think about you all the time, even when I don’t mean to.” She stared at where she held him. “It’s only been a few days.”

  “We’re wolves, Zadie. Of course it’s going to feel different. We are different. We’re not like normal people. We don’t need to take months or even years to figure out what we want. We know because we feel so deeply for one another.” With his free hand, he reached out, and tucked some hair behind her ear. “The moment I saw you, I knew I wanted you. From that point on, my feelings for you have only grown, and will continue to do so. You’ve got to trust yourself, and stop thinking you’re just an everyday human. You’re not.” He placed her hand onto his chest. “We’re meant to be stronger. We can change form, and with that, it’s the most powerful feeling in the world.” His heart thumped heavily in his chest, and she stared at her hand.

  She was so happy to feel his heart racing. It was the strangest feeling she’d ever experienced, and she loved it so much.

  Once again, he took her hand, and they made their way into the river. “It has gotten so hot,” she said.

  Moving a bit further out, they dropped down a little, and Dante wrapped his arms around her, keeping her there, close to him.

  “I’m used to being alone,” she said. “I’m not used to having a mate, or being part of a team. There’s my family, and my brother.”

  “I’d like you to stay with me tonight. To give me a better chance to prove to you that we’re meant to be together.”

  “Dante, you don’t need to prove anything.”

  He kissed her temple, and she closed her eyes, startled by how good that actually felt.

  “Then how about you stay because I want you to.”

  She turned her head to look at him. “You want me to stay with you.”

  “Always. You really don’t understand that, do you, babe?” His fingers teased the flesh of her stomach, and she rested her head against his shoulder.

  “I could get used to this.”

  “So I know you love cooking and baking. I also know you’re great at it. What else do you love to do?”

  “It’s weird, but I love to clean as well. Take care of kids, and just be there for people to talk to.”

  “Did those kids convince you to have a party/”

  She sighed. “Sloane told me he’s agreed to a party for when you leave, but that’s all. He won’t agree to anything else.” Spinning in his arms, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Does that mean he expects me to leave with you?”

  “Yes.”

  She licked her lips, and she felt strange.

  “I know leaving your pack is going to be hard, but embracing a new one will be easy. I’ve got no intention of cutting off ties with Sloane’s pack. We will be united in our mating, our union, Zadie. You’ll be able to see your family whenever you want.”

  “It’s moments like that when I wonder why I ever worry,” she said. “This pack is my home, and my family are here, and I guess I was worried that if I took all of that away, I wouldn’t really have anything.”

  “You have no idea how much people adore you. I do. The pack does, and even my pack adores you. You’re part and parcel of helping this one run smoothly, and I know I will be getting a better deal with you by my side.”

  She laughed. “You could always pay me back in orgasms.”

  “See, that’s the woman that I know is lurking beneath that fragile shell.”

  “A blackmailer?” She winked.

  “No. A passionate woman who is also capable of being a tease.” He gripped her ass, holding her close. The hard ridge of his cock pressed against her stomach.

  “You’re ready to go again?”

  “I don’t know what it’s going to take to convince you that when it comes to you, I want you more than anything else, but I’m willing to fight to show you.”

  He took possession of her mouth, and all thought fled her mind as he totally consumed her.

  “What if I told you that I had a state of the art kitchen, with every single appliance you could ever need?” he said.

  She threw her head back and laughed. “Are you trying to bribe me with getting me back to your place?” she asked.

  “I’m willing to do whatever it takes. I live in a large house with a garden that grows some fruit and vegetables. I’ve got a gardener there. He chose to stay behind so that he could tend the crops.”

  She kissed his lips. “Stop.” She pulled away, and looked into his eyes. “You don’t have to tell me about your house, or your kitchen, or your garden. They won’t sway me.”

  “What will?”

  She stroked his cheek. “My feelings, which means you can’t hide behind trees anymore. I need to get to know the real you, and not just the man you’re trying to convince me you are, but the person you really are.”

  “I can do that. First, I want to know if you’re up for a road trip?”

  “Why?”

  “I need to take you to where I was.”

  ****

  Three days later

  Dante watched as Zadie stared out of the penthouse apartment. Sloane had been against him taking Zadie out of the pack, but she had wanted to go, and had asked him herself.

  “Thi
s is where you lived?” she asked. “The weekdays spent here, and the weekends at your pack home?”

  “Yes.” She glanced back out of the window. The penthouse was in the middle of the city.

  “Your hearing is as good as mine, yes?”

  “It is.”

  She shook her head, and turned toward him. Her eyes were closed. “How can you stand to hear all that?”

  He knew what she heard. The shouting from far away. Car horns honking, the sound of music blaring away. he heard it all.

  “I found it quite therapeutic.” He took a step toward her. “I didn’t willingly accept my werewolf heritage.”

  “You didn’t?”

  “No. The moment I could get away, I did. I wanted nothing to do with my wolf side.”

  “You turned your back on it?”

  “For about a week. In this world, it’s a lot harder to control your emotions than when you’re part of a pack. I found myself craving the forest near my home. Even my pack, and my friends.”

  “I couldn’t imagine not being who I am. Even if it has been hard at times. You know I used to diet? I tried to starve myself so that I was like the other girls. I was always bigger, and it didn’t matter how little I ate, the weight never fell off.” She turned back to look out of the window.

  He moved up behind her, pressing a kiss to her neck. “I think you’re perfect.”

  “You did this for many years, didn’t you?”

  “Yes. I did.”

  “You can’t see a single tree for miles,” she said. “I love being surrounded by forest.” She pressed her palm against the glass. “This keeps everything out.”

  “I wanted nothing to do with my other life. I didn’t want to change. It was not my decision to become Alpha, and I fought it. Every single step of the way, I argued with my dad. He told me one day I would understand what my stubbornness was doing. When he died, my only wish was to spend more time with him.”

  “You don’t live here anymore?” she asked.

  “Nope. I come here every Saturday, or when I’m not invited to another pack and I want to impress a girl.”

  She laughed, and it made him smile.

  “I still have a business to run, and I can’t turn my back on it. For the most part, I do it from my pack home.”

  She placed her hands over his where they lay against her stomach.

  He wanted to get her pregnant so much, to feel their child growing. Not only that, he knew without a doubt that pregnancy would suit her.

  She was the nurturing kind of woman.

  “After the first five months of being rejected, I walked into town. No one knows about this, not even my brother. I had packed a bag with a bunch of clothes, and I purchased a bus ticket,” she said. “Wow, this seems like another life time ago. This was after I overheard those guys at the diner talking about me, and mocking me. I sat in a human diner, and I drank coffee, ate some food. Then I went and sat near the bus stop. My bus wasn’t due to arrive for a couple of hours, and I sat there, and listened to the people talk about their problems. Some were on a cell phone. Others were just talking between themselves. They all had problems they needed to solve, and I don’t know. Sitting there, I realized that I couldn’t run. No matter how far I’d run, I’d still be a fat mate. That’s what I was running from. Hoping to avoid bumping into those guys again.”

  He held her even tighter, thankful that she trusted him.

  “The bus came, and I stared at it. I had the ticket in my hand, and instead of getting on it, I gave my ticket to the woman who couldn’t afford one. Without saying a word, I went back home, unpacked my bag, and took a job at the nursery. I ignored everyone. I let their words roll off me like water. I could say that I don’t know what the hell you were doing by rejecting who you were. But I get it, I do. Sometimes it’s harder to deal with than others.”

  “I wish I knew these guys. I would hurt them. As far as I’m concerned, you’re perfect exactly the way you are.”

  They stood, staring out of the window, overlooking the city. The noise gave him a headache like it had done many times before.

  “Do you miss it here?” she asked.

  “No. I don’t miss anything. This was my achievement and also my curse. I was born a wolf, and raised to be an Alpha. I didn’t have any say. As a young boy, it was all I wanted to be. To follow in my father’s footsteps. Then as I got to be a teenager, I went to a public school with the humans. My dad thought it would be good for us to mingle together. While I was there, that’s when I began to hate who I was. Certain trips out of town, I wasn’t allowed to go. Even though I’d not turned, there was always a risk of not being able to control myself. I hated being the one sitting at home. I’d be the one listening to the kids talking about how great of a time they had. Finally, when college came, and my dad told me it was time for me to stick with the pack, I rebelled. We fought so much. I know I upset my mom. Bethany was terrified. There had never been a family argument in the pack. My dad was disappointed in me, and I can understand why.”

  “You were denying who you were.”

  “Yes, and in doing so, I was denying him. With him gone, and knowing what I did, thinking about my own child one day doing that, I don’t know how he coped.”

  “He loved you. You were his little boy, even if you were a giant pain in the ass. I can understand why he was patient. You’ll probably find he was hoping you’d find your way home soon.”

  “My biggest regret is that I didn’t find it soon enough.”

  She kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry you have to deal with that.”

  He sighed. Holding onto her waist, he glanced over her shoulder, and he didn’t see the beauty of the city, or his past accomplishment. “I was so damn stubborn.”

  “Maybe when you have your own children, you’ll learn from your own mistakes. Don’t live in the past, Dante. That’s the biggest mistake you could make.”

  “Come on. I didn’t want to keep you here. There’s more I want to show you.”

  She followed him as he took her across the city.

  The noises were starting to give him a headache and make him sick, so he knew she was feeling that ways as well. Zadie had also started to fidget.

  “How did you handle this? I feel like my head is going to explode!” She rubbed at her temples.

  “I used ear protectors a lot of the time. I’m also incredibly stubborn, more so than I ever thought possible. I’d rather put up with this, than ever have to deal with looking like a failure to my dad.”

  “You wouldn’t have been a failure. The smells, and the noise. You must have been ill.”

  “I was. I didn’t say that I was bright in the decisions that I made. I was far from it.” It wasn’t long before they were at his main building.

  “You own this?” she asked as he parked the car.

  “Yep. This was all mine, and still is. I still work here, I just delegate a lot of work. Come on.” He pressed in the code to take him to the top floor.

  “I had no idea what you actually did. I heard you were rich.”

  “I am. A millionaire many times over. I thought money and wealth would give me something, but it turns out, it’s all just a lie.”

  She took his hand, offering him comfort. He squeezed her back, needing it.

  “I bet your parents were so proud of you.”

  He chuckled, even though the sound felt rather dull coming from him. “They were. It’s what makes it worse. After they died, and we had the funeral, and I was back home. I started going through all of their things. Dad kept a safe in the office. The code was mine and Bethany’s birthday. I got in, and right at the back there was this box. About this size.” He directed with his hands the size of a plain sheet of computer paper. “I didn’t think much of it, and then I finally opened it about three weeks after I buried him. Inside was so much stuff. There was a scrapbook that contained all of the headlines that I had ever been in. I thought he hated everything that I achieved. He didn’t. Medals, clippings, m
agazines, it was all there. He had followed me through everything, and that was hard.”

  She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight. “He loved you.”

  “Since then I wanted to do everything that would make him proud, you know. Be the Alpha he always knew I could be.” He cupped her cheek. “Thank you, for listening to me.”

  “If we’re going to be mates, I need to learn everything about you. The good and the bad.”

  The elevator opened, and he took her hand, leading her toward the floor that had a single office. With his hearing, he’d required that no one worked on the same floor as he did. He’d tried to handle other people being around him, a PA, secretaries, and stuff. It hadn’t worked. The pain from hearing them clicking on a computer, talking on the phone, even walking to go and get coffee had made him ill. He’d needed as much silence as he could handle. The only way to get that had been to have a floor all to himself.

  He’d made the builders cushion it, providing as much soundproofing as he could get in one room.

  “This is where the magic happens?” she asked, releasing his hand.

  “This is where I made my kingdom, and I wanted to show it to you. I don’t want to hide who I was. I’m not perfect, and I won’t ever claim to be perfect. I’m just me. I struggled through everything to get to where I am today. I want to share my pack with you, provide for them.”

  He took her hand, and made her look out over the city. This building was taller than his apartment building.

  “You gave all of this up to be a pack leader.”

  “I’m dedicated, Zadie. I will be dedicated to you, to our pack, and to our children.” He looked around him. “This was my greatest achievement and my biggest regret. I’ve learned from my mistakes. I won’t make them again.” He pulled her into his arms. “I want you to give me a chance, and I won’t let you down. This decision, it is up to you.”

  She licked her lips, and glanced back out of the window.

  He had no idea what she was thinking or feeling. He wanted to know everything. “How about I make a promise to you?”

  “What kind of promise?”