Their Runaway Mate Read online

  “Anna, why are you asking this?” Carter swallowed, not wanting to really have this conversation.

  “I just want to know and you want me to trust you, so I think a part of gaining my trust would be by answering the question truthfully.”

  Well shit, she had him there. “I don’t know about twenty or so,” he muttered, hoping she wouldn’t hear.

  No such luck, “Twenty or so? How? You and Drew couldn’t have been together that long, let alone lived that long to have over twenty women.”

  “Drew and I’ve been mated for sixty years.” Carter defended, and then wished he hadn’t blurted it out.

  She visibly paled, as she seemed to gasp in air. “Sixty years? How old are you?”

  Carter really didn’t want to be having this conversation. “I’ll be two hundred and forty-nine next month.”

  She looked as if she were about to pass out now. “And Drew?”

  “He’s actually a couple years older than me. He’ll be two hundred and fifty-three in three months.”

  Anna leaned against the table, then all together turned around and pushed herself to sit on it, “I need to sit down.”

  Carter was nervous now, as he rounded the table to stand in front of her. “Anna, are you alright?”

  “You’re two hundred and fifty years old Carter,” she said, her expression matching her deer in the headlights routine.

  “Two hundred and forty-nine,” Carter corrected. “But yes, I guess it’s quite old compared to human years.”

  “You guess?” She stared, indignant. “And when were you and Drew going to tell me this, when I was old and grey and you two still looked like you were in your early thirties?”

  “Well actually, when you let us claim you, you will become like us and stop aging.”

  “So I’ll become immortal?” Her innocent eyes looked at him with surprise and apprehension, and Carter felt an overwhelming pull to comfort her.

  He chuckled softly as his hands swept her knees, then pressed on them, gently to force them apart. He stepped between her legs and wrapped his arms around her, letting her headrest on his chest as he rubbed small circles into her back. This was the first time Anna had let him or Drew even come this close to her and he was highly aware of her body pressed to his.

  “Not immortal, my love,” his voice sounded lower and husky, even to him. “Just live for a very long time. We do age. It’s just a lot slower than humans.”

  He kneaded her shoulders and she groaned into his chest, making his cock strain against the zipper of his jeans. Gods, I want her so badly, if only Drew were here, we could take her together, he thought.

  Then his wolf spoke up, claim her without Drew and he can have her when he gets back.

  Did he dare do something as important as this without his other mate present?

  He had no time to decide, because while he was fighting an internal battle with himself, he felt the innocent, uncertain caress of Anna’s lips sweep across his, then press against him. He knew he shouldn’t return the kiss, but her lips were so sweet and succulent, he found himself taking control very quickly and deepening it.

  He pressed his tongue to the seam of her lips, rubbing against it, gently asking for entrance, even though his wolf was howling for him to be more forceful. She opened slightly for him and his tongue speared passed her lips and swept through her mouth. Oh sweet, merciful gods, she tasted so sweet, Carter groaned loudly, as his hands traveled to her ass and pushed her to press closer to him. She moaned as her center was exposed to his hardened cock and tangled her tongue with his. Slowly, he began to rock his hips against hers, while one of his hands slid up to take one of her breasts and started kneading it, pinching her hard nipple and rubbing away the sting.

  Her soft mewls were driving him crazy, he wanted this woman like he wanted no one else. He’d only ever felt this driving force with Drew and even that was different from what he felt now. He felt protective and possessive at the same time, he would kill anyone who intended to harm her and let no other man touch her, save Drew. He wanted to fuck her hard and furious, yet handle her like fine china. Her skin was like silk under his hands. Her taste was like sweet ambrosia in his mouth. The higher he pushed her arousal, the closer she got to the edge with the friction he caused by grinding his cock against her clit, her smell became more of a rich, delicious flow of honey and vanilla.

  He needed to taste her everywhere, now. He guided her to lay back on the pool table while he pushed her shirt over her head and off. Next came her bra, it was white and nothing fancy, but thankfully it was a front clasping one. Carter popped open the clasp and watched her breasts bounce free of the fabric, her tight, swollen nipples a beautiful rose color, like the ripest, sweetest berry. He latched onto one of her nipples with a growl, sucking, licking, and biting, while she whimpered and writhed underneath him.

  He went from one nipple to the other with his mouth, all the time teasing the abandoned one with his fingers. He couldn’t get enough; he loved the taste of her nipples, which tasted like the berries they mimicked.

  After a few minutes, he looked up at her, but didn’t stop his assault on her breasts, to see that her eyes were closed tightly. Even though she appeared to be in ecstasy, Carter wanted her watching what he did to her. He pulled away from her nipple with a pop and braced his arms on either side of her head against the pool table.

  “Anna, open your eyes,” he stated, then waited patiently for her compliance.

  Slowly one eye popped open then the other and she stared up at him with a bewildered expression, “Have I done something wrong?”

  He couldn’t help but chuckle at her question. “No, my sweet Anna, you’ve done nothing wrong. I just want you to be watching me when I take you.”

  The aqua blue of her eyes turned dark with desire and began to glaze over with passion.

  Carter kissed her hard on the lips, burying his hands in her hair and demanding her submission, which she gave willingly. He reveled in the way she opened herself for him without question, gone was the woman who first came here and refused to be his mate. She was his, now and forever.

  He pulled from her lips and she bared her throat to him, which he kissed and sucked on happily, but he didn’t bite, yet. He wanted to leave his bite when she was in the height of her orgasm and he in his. Then he would drink some of her blood and leave his mark to let every wolf know she was his.

  “Carter,” she whimpered, forcing more blood to go south and his cock to harden more. He knew once he got his pants off, his cock head would probably be purple considering all the pain she had him in.

  “Carter?” she asked, and Carter wondered how she could concentrate on anything else, let alone talking.

  Still he answered as he made his way back down her body, toward her delicious nipples, “Yes, my darling?”

  “What about Drew? Shouldn’t we wait for him?” She said breathlessly, even though her hands were twisted in his hair, encouraging him to carry on.

  His wolf howled no, that Drew wouldn’t mind and would be happy to claim her when he returned, but his human half knew that he’d be hurt if Carter claimed their mate without him.

  However, it didn’t seem to matter which voice he was going to listen to because a faint knock sounded at the den door.

  Carter jumped back from Anna and immediately wished he hadn’t from the look of hurt on her face.

  “I’m sorry, Anna. You’re right, it wasn’t right of me to take such privileges without Drew present,” he tried to make amends for his abrupt action, but she just gave him a withering look and began to re-clasp her bra and grab her shirt.

  Another knock sounded, but all Carter could do was watch her put her clothes back on, covering her beautiful body from his view. When she was done, she looked at him in confusion and her eyes appeared uncertain. She looked absolutely beautiful, like a goddess, with her hair all mussed, her cheeks flushed, and her lips red and swollen from his kisses, the last thing he wanted was for her to be uncertain.<
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  He walked back to her and grabbed her face in his hands. “Anna, I want you so bad, you are so beautiful and perfect, and believe me when I say, pulling away from you is one of the hardest and most painful things I have ever had to do. However, I have to for now because Drew deserves to be a part of this too and he isn’t here right now. I know he wants you just as much as I do and he’d be hurt if we did it without him.”

  She frowned a bit and her bottom lip came out in a pout, but before she could say anything, he continued.

  “Wait for him to come home my love, and when he does, we will both give you so much pleasure you’ll feel like you’re in heaven. I promise we will make it worth your wait because Drew and I have been waiting a long time for this, and will not let it be anything less than perfect for you.”

  A blush crept over her cheeks and her arousal permeated the air around him. He inhaled deeply then growled, bending to take her lips in a bruising kiss.

  The knock was loud and impatient this time and Carter tore his lips from hers, yelling. “Yes!? What is it!?”

  Aryk popped his head in the doorway and upon seeing Carter and Anna began to blush profusely. “I-I’m sorry Alpha, but there is a problem and we need you right away.”

  Carter pulled away from Anna and began to walk toward the door, but Aryk stopped him, “No, I mean we need her right away.”

  Carter looked back at Anna and then at Aryk, again. “What’s going on, Aryk that you would need Anna for?”

  “Well you see,” Aryk hesitated. “There is this woman out here who has been beaten pretty badly and she is claiming to be Anna’s sister.”

  With that, Anna pushed past Carter and raced toward the door. “Take me to her please, Aryk.”

  The door hung open where Aryk and Anna had just exited and Carter just stood in the middle of the room, baffled by the turn of events.

  “Her sister?” he muttered, then exited the room, following closely behind them.

  Chapter Six

  Anna couldn’t believe her ears. Her sister was there and she was beaten up? What happened?

  She rushed behind Aryk, a teenage Pack member that followed Drew and Carter around like they were his greatest heroes, into the foyer of the mansion and stopped abruptly, a horrified scream caught in her throat. There sitting against the wall, next to the front door was her little sister curled into the fetal position, with her head hiding in her knees, her clothes all torn to bits, and bruises dotted her arms and legs through the holes in her clothes. She looked emaciated and tiny from where Anna stood. Her bony elbows were more prominent than should be as she bent her arms to hold her head.

  Anna raced over to her and hesitantly touched her shoulder, afraid she might lash out at her hand.

  “Cheryl, is that you?” Anna’s voice croaked and it came out as an uncertain whisper.

  Her head came up slowly and Anna had to hold off yet another scream at the look of her sister’s face. Her bottom lip was swollen to the size of a golf ball and purple, her left eye swollen shut with bruising, and her right eye she could open just minimally to look up at Anna. Her nose looked as if it had been broken and there was dried blood underneath of it and along her cheek, where a large gash seemed to have opened up her skin revealing the tissue. Now, up close and looking at her sister, Anna could see parts of her once beautiful blonde hair were missing as well.

  Horror and anger both filled Anna’s body at once, horror for what her sister must have gone through to survive this beating, and anger toward the soon to be dead bastard who did this to her.

  “Anna?” her sister whispered, looking at her as if she were dreaming.

  “Yes, honey, it’s me,” Anna tried to smile a bit, but tears were flowing steadily now and her lips would not allow her to do anything but frown.

  “Oh, Anna!” Cheryl exclaimed, and then threw herself at Anna, flinging her bony arms around Anna’s neck and causing Anna to fall backward from where she knelt. Anna wanted to respond, but her sister had a tight grip and Anna’s tears were choking her throat.

  “Oh, Anna, I finally found you. I’m so sorry I left,” Cheryl babbled against Anna’s shoulder.

  Anna could feel the wetness of Cheryl’s tears seeping into the sleeve of her shoulder, which only made Anna cry harder as she put her arms around Cheryl and rubbed her back soothingly.

  “It’s okay now, sweet baby sister, I’ve got you.” She cooed to her sister, trying to comfort her in some way.

  “Aryk, go get the Pack physician, now,” Carter’s voice boomed behind Anna and she jumped a little having forgotten that Carter was even there.

  She felt more than saw Carter crouch down beside her and put his hand on her shoulder.

  “You don’t know me, little wolf, but I am your Alpha now and I will take care of you.” Carter whispered to Cheryl, which made Anna snap back in an instant and look at him, confused.

  “Little wolf?” She asked, “Carter she is my sister, she’s human like me.”

  Carter just continued to look at the beaten and crying woman in Anna’s arms, “Not anymore she isn’t. Someone has changed her.”

  Anna looked at her sister, “Cheryl?”

  Her sister just cried harder, “I didn’t know what was happening, Anna. I didn’t know.“

  Immediately, Carter swept the little woman out of Anna’s arms and began taking her upstairs.

  “Carter, what are you doing with my sister?” Anna yelled, as she got up and started to chase after them.

  “I’m taking her to a guest room to lie down and rest until the doctor gets here.” He stated, matter-of-factly.

  Anna just followed behind, looking at her frail, little sister in her mate’s arms and wondering how she’d become a wolf. Carter walked toward one of the guestrooms close to Anna’s room and carried Cheryl into it. He placed her gently on top of the comforter, and Anna thought she looked like a small child on the big bed.

  Carter stepped back to let Anna sit down on the bed next to her sister and she reached for Cheryl’s hand to hold it in her lap while she whispered, “What happened, Cheryl? Please tell me.”

  “I don’t know, Anna. I’m so confused. I thought he loved me,” Cheryl started to cry again.

  Anna felt Carter put his hand on her shoulder. “Anna, darling, maybe we should give your sister time to rest until the doctor gets here to examine her.”

  Reluctantly, Anna agreed. “Cheryl, I am here and if you need anything, just call for me and I will come right away. Okay?”

  Cheryl just nodded, then turned away to curl up in the fetal position on the bed. Anna stood up and let Carter pull her out of the room, where he pulled the door with them, leaving just a crack so they could hear her if she called out.

  As soon as they walked out of the room, Anna lunged into Carter’s arms, and he embraced her, lovingly holding her up from crumbling onto the floor.

  “Oh, Carter, what has happened to my sister?” She cried against his chest, as he stroked circles on her back.

  “I don’t know, sweetheart, but we will find out and then we will take care of it.” He stated reassuringly then kissed the top of her head.

  “She’s been gone for so long. The last time I heard from her, she was happily married and living in California.” Anna babbled. “I never even met her husband, but now I want to kill him, like he almost did to her. I can’t imagine what would happen if I lost my sister, she’s all the family I have left.”

  “That’s not true.” Carter stated, causing Anna to pull away and look up at him. He placed his palm against her cheek and wiped away another stray tear with his thumb, “Anna, you have us as your family now too, Drew and me. We would never let anything happen to you and we will always be there for you.”

  Anna gave him a small smile, deep down she knew he was telling the truth, but that small voice still warned her not to believe him.

  “I want to believe you, I really do, but I’ve never had anyone who truly wanted to take care of me and love me before. When Cheryl and
I were children our parents were drunks and our father would beat us almost on a regular basis. Cheryl more than me because she wasn’t really his, our mom had cheated on him and gotten pregnant with my baby sister. Then, when I was in high school, they got into an accident while they were drunk and died. We had no other family that wanted anything to do with us, so I had to quit school, get my GED, and get a job to support us while Cheryl completed school. As soon as she graduated, she disappeared and I didn’t hear from her for a few years, until she sent me a letter saying she’d gotten married and was very happy. That’s when I decided to go to college and get my bachelor’s in accounting.

  So you see Carter, I’ve never had someone who cared for me and wanted to take care of me. I’ve always had to fend for myself and take care of other people.” Anna explained her story, realizing she’d never really just come out and told either man about her life.

  Anger flashed across Carter’s face, and then sympathy. “Oh Anna, I never realized how rough you had it. I’m sorry for the way I treated you when we first met. I love you, and would never intentionally hurt you.”

  Anna’s heart almost stopped for a moment at Carter’s declaration, “You-you love me?” She whispered.

  Carter just smiled sheepishly and nodded, “Yes. I think I have loved you since the first time I laid eyes on you. I just wanted to fight it at first. Drew used to tell me how wonderful you were and I refused to believe it because you’re human, but the more I got to know you after we met, the more I had to agree with him that you are the most wonderful person we have ever met, perfect for us in every way.”

  “Why do you hate humans so much, Carter?” Anna asked, wanting to finally get answers to some of her questions.

  Carter blew out a long sigh, “I think it’s best we go to the office and sit down to talk about this.”

  Anna just nodded then let Carter take her hand to guide her back down stairs and into the office, where she sat down on the long sofa on one end of the room, next to Carter. They were silent for a few minutes and Anna was worried that Carter was going to back out of telling his story. It upset her a bit because she’d told him her story without any reservations, but then he spoke.