Mated: Reluctant Love

Author's Note:

Thank you for the kind comments! This is a 3 part story. Touching my feet in fantasy erotica so it's pretty simple but hopefully in time there will be more stories to come.

Including a short excerpt from Pt 1 as a reminder~

"Do you bite everyone you kiss?"

Warren's gaze kept shifting from my neck to my face like he was expecting me to suddenly develop rabies. He looked worried and I didn't like that. Then he smiled and shook his head before frowning, not making any sense to me. Something was going on inside his mind that he wasn't telling me about. Was this his kink? Why couldn't people tell me about their kinks before this sort of thing happened?

"Do you?" I demanded again, not sure why this mattered but already I was imagining him making out with everyone in last night's club and that did not sit well with me one bit.

"No, of course not. I never do, but... but you said you wanted it. I can't take it back, damn it." He punched the wooden column by the stairs and I thought I saw the wood fracture before he turned and stood in front of it. There was a strange expression on his face. "I can't... I can't undo it."

That didn't make any sense. I touched the skin again but felt only a drying smear; it hadn't really been that bad. It wasn't a problem, I was just surprised.

Then I asked, "Undo what?"

Rubbing his face, Warren motioned to the chairs nearby. Rocking chairs to enjoy the view, I supposed. A pleasant place to sit down and watch the world. Or maybe just the sky. I eyed them before looking at the unhappy handsome man. "You're going to want to sit down for this."

~ ~ ~

I didn't want to sit down, it turned out. Instead, I wanted to get out of there immediately.

Fortunately, Dana and Jac had appeared with an Oldsmobile that rattled along in front of the house and waved for me to get in. I jumped in after shouting some more at Warren, and we made to get out of here to get me home.

"He's crazy, right?" I demanded of the two once we were rolling away from the house.

Dana looked to Jac with hope, who only shook their head. So neither of them said anything. We left the long drive and once we were on a paved road, Dana promised they'd have me back home before nightfall. I'd get my clothes back from them another time.

Maybe they didn't want to talk about what Warren had said and maybe that was for the best.

Because obviously, Warren was insane.

The conversation he tried to have me bordered on hilarious to madness. There was no such things as Alphas or Werewolves or Mating Bites. It was all made up shit. Maybe we hadn't taken any drugs in that house but there was something in the air. Until I could convince the CDC to investigate, it was best that I leave immediately.

We were nearing town an hour later when Dana glanced back with an anxious smile. "Do you... do you want to talk about anything? I'm sure it's been overwhelming since waking up."

"Dana," Jac hissed with a shake of their head.

"What? I'm just trying to help. We will probably see each other again."

It was my turn to shake my head. Not that it helped the dizziness. Between not eating for countless hours, Dana was not an ideal driver. My stomach rumbled and I held it through the discomfort. "I don't think so. I don't need this nonsense. I'm going to have a hell of a time catching up on classes tomorrow and hiding this monster hickey."

Dana slammed on the brakes.

I bounced forward, banging my nose against the headrest. Righting myself took a minute to find the two people up front staring me down. "What gives?" I frowned, rubbing my nose as I looked back at them.

"Hickey?" Jac asked tersely. "What hickey?"

"Did he bite you?"

Groaning, I cringed back in my seat. Apparently they both knew that was his thing. Did he tell them? Kiss them and bite them? Oh good lord, it would be just like me to find the weird cult leader and nearly join the sex party. This was why I had to stop dating.

But it was over, I told myself. "So what if he did? I'm not seeing him again."

While Jac hissed threats and curses under their breath, Dana sighed loudly and focused on the road. She sweetly flipped the bird to a driver we had inconvenienced before turning down my street. She seemed to be gauging her words before saying anything more.

"Sorry, sweetie, but you're stuck now. We'll be seeing you again real soon. Jac, should we just...?" But she trailed off when Jac again shook their head. We stopped in front of my place. Dana looked back with a sympathetic smile. "Warren already put our numbers in your phone. When things get rough... call us, would you? We can help."

Of course they had been in my phone. I knew handsome men couldn't be trusted.

"Help?" I echoed in disbelief and shook my head. They were all crazy. Since these two hadn't bitten me, however, I endeavored to be a little nicer. "I don't think so. Thanks for the ride. And clothes, don't worry about mine, I guess. Jac, I can... mail them back or something."

"Thanks," Jac muttered.

Neither of them looked very happy now. There was worry in their gazes but neither of them said anything to me as I sorted out the seatbelt and hastily made my way out of the car. Things had started off weird with them and now they were getting weirder. I turned to wave and then caught myself, ducking my head and hurrying over to my townhouse.

There was the key under the gnome. I made my way inside and locked it, breathing a sigh of relief. The crazy people were gone. I'd had some kissing, tried some bad drugs, and was now safe and alone and home. No one could touch me. I even had my phone and it was pretty well charged.

It wasn't until later that evening, still stewing over all that had happened, that I realized I had never given Dana directions to my house.

~ ~ ~

That was one of many thoughts that started to consume me.

I blamed it on the drugs at first. They were out of my system by the time I could take any tests to see what I had been given, so nothing appeared on the tests I took during a quick and quiet ER visit. After hydrating and sleeping and making up lies to Lacey, I expected everything to go back to normal.

Except nothing did.

Okay so life did return to normal, my life, but I didn't. It didn't make any sense. Everything was different. Wrong seemed more the right answer. I felt like I had gone to use the mirror and couldn't see myself----just everything else around me.

It started like an itch under my skin.

The temperature was never quite right and I was constantly restless. During some of my classes, I stood up and walked out. I took long walks until night or went to the gym to try and get this feeling out of my body. Then my dreams were... well, they were actually very pleasant. In the worst way, of course, since Warren was always there.

I'd had dirty dreams before but these were on a whole new level. I couldn't get enough of him and the same went for him. Never had I done such filthy things as what I dreamt of between darkness and strangeness. But that was only when I was able to sleep, since most nights I was tossing and turning. All I wanted was him. I needed Warren to find me, eat me, kiss me, consume me. I woke every morning nauseated at the fact that I was alone, faint with the thought of needing someone so badly, and confused about everything.

"I think that's infected," Lacey pointed out a week later when she caught me trying to hide the bite mark on my neck. "What happened? You kissed a vampire?"

"No, a werewolf," I replied sarcastically before I could help myself. She laughed and I managed a weak grin. "It's probably infected. I'll get some antibiotics tomorrow."

"Do it before study group, would you?" She winked and left.

I promised her I would but that didn't end up happening. The following morning, I couldn't seem to get out of bed. Though I had felt something off since I'd made it back home, my ER visit hadn't figured anything out so I expected the sickly feeling to go away. Instead, it escalated abruptly until I couldn't ignore it.

My body had grown alarmingly weak. I'd ignored the aching limbs until I couldn't any longer. It was a fever but my forehead wasn't burning up. My limbs ached but I could still use all of them. I curled up in a ball, sweating in the cool room with a fan at full speed, while I tried to mentally walk through a list of all the possible ailments it could be.

But it was the bite. It had to be. If only I could get myself to the pharmacy.

With shaking hands, I picked up my phone to call and ask for their delivery service. I frowned to see my phone on low battery. Hadn't it been plugged in all night? But the cord was on the ground and not on my nightstand. It was too far out of reach from my spot in my bed. I groaned, tightening myself in my ball.

Maybe I could call before my phone died. While searching for the right number, my thumb wavered over the name Dana in my Contacts list. What had she said? Call when something happened?

Swearing, I pushed to call.

Dana was decent enough to pick up on the third ring. "I'm so glad you called, Penelope," she said at once. She was smiling, but I heard something else in her voice. "Jac just lost their phone in the woods again. How are you doing? Can we help you? We can come into the city right now."

"No." I tightened my jaw so I wouldn't stammer when a shiver took me over. "Why would you come get me?"

"Well... Do you feel all right?"

My eyes closed. I knew it. I damn well knew it. They had done something to me after all. Drugs, maybe? Hypnosis? Maybe they'd given me a weird tapeworm from some jungle. "Just----just tell me what is happening to my body. You knew this would happen, didn't you?"

There was the faint hope they'd given me something so strong that I was going through withdrawals. It would make my life easier.

"I'm sorry, Penelope. Is there any chance Warren mentioned what biting means for... for some of us?"

A scoff escaped my lips. The crazy man? I couldn't listen to a thing he said no matter how beautiful he was. I knew better than that. "Mating Bites. Something about doing it right or we go crazy, whatever. I don't care. I'm not going crazy. I'm sick, Dana. Warren has rabies. Is that it? Because I swear if this kills me, I'm going to murder him."

There was whispering on the other side. I thought I heard Dana and then Jac and then someone else. Another guy but it wasn't Warren. I frowned, pressing the phone tighter to my ear to hear better. That did nothing. Just as I was thinking about throwing my phone out the window, Dana cleared her throat.

"Can you make it downstairs?" she asked thinly.

I peeked an eye open toward my bedroom door. I hadn't left my room since yesterday. Having skipped half my classes and our study group, I'd come back here and collapsed in a heap on the bed feeling like someone was crushing me to a pulp. Now wasn't any better. But could I get down there?

"Of course," my mouth said without consulting the rest of my body.

"We'll be there soon. And maybe pack some things. It sounds like you could use a vacation," she said suddenly before hanging up.

Vacation? We were all losing our minds.

I stared at the phone if just to confirm that she had indeed hung up on me. Nothing in our conversation had made sense. Feeling a headache coming on, I groaned and buried myself deeper into a hole in the hopes this would all go away if I willed it so. That hadn't worked on much in my life but it sure felt like it should by now.

All I wanted was quiet and peace and for my body to feel normal again. It didn't have to feel amazing, just a little better than this. Where my stomach wasn't about heave and my mouth didn't taste bitter and my skin didn't feel like it was about to burn off. Was that so much to ask for? It hurt even to blink so I closed my eyes. Maybe I would pack later. That wasn't something I had to worry about now. Just a few minutes of rest and then I would start moving again.

~ ~ ~

It was surely a second later when a hot weight landed on my shoulder. "Pen?"

Groaning as I was turned over on my back, I winced at the pressure building inside me. "I'm dying. Go away."

"You're not dying."

"Maybe I want to." I found my eye forced open and I looked at Warren before he let go of my eyelid. "Go away, crazy hot man." Neither of us mentioned my slurred voice.

A heavy sigh sounded from him. He sounded as exhausted as I felt. "Let's get you back into the mountains, shall we? You will feel better there. We just need to get you ready. Did you pack your bag?" I found enough energy to respond in a scoff. "Yeah, it doesn't look like it. I knew I should have... But I didn't think... I should have been more careful with you."

"More careful. Less crazy."

When he scoffed, I managed to crack an eye open. "Just because something isn't what you expect doesn't mean it's crazy," he responded in a surprisingly stern voice.

I was trying to get my brain to formulate a response while his hands ran over my body. Dressed in a barely there bralette set and boy shorts, it left nothing to the imagination and yet I still managed to be too hot. I would have taken them off if I had the energy.

Limp as a noodle, I felt Warren fix me lying on my back. He propped my head properly on the nearby pillow before laying out my arms at my side. Then my legs were uncurled to stretch out nearly off the bed.

His hands were hotter than the rest of me, and I found the touch rather comforting though I didn't say it. That would be much too embarrassing. So I let him do as he wished, uncertain I could do anything about it. His touch tingled across my skin that felt better than the hot showers I'd been taking for the last couple of days. I told myself it was the fever getting to me.

"I hope that's better," he murmured as his hands settled on my feet. He palmed one, tugging at the toes and arching my foot, rolling the ankle. His hands were experts across my body. The stiffness inside my joints faded away as he moved to the second foot. By the time he was kneading my calves, most of the nausea had crept away. Even the heat inside me had loosened up. He knelt over me, I could tell by the weight of the bed shifting, and kissed my ribs on the left. I gasped in surprise at the touch and managed to open my eyes.

There was Warren grinning at me. His eyes were red-rimmed, I realized, and the smile was almost bitter. Had he been sick as well? I glanced over the rest of him but couldn't quite tell. "How are you feeling now?"

I sniffed. "A little better."

"Good enough to get into the car?"

Closing my eyes, I shook my head. "No. I don't think I'll go anywhere without you, Warren. Maybe you should go."

"Should I?" I froze when I felt his breath on my bare skin. He was back there at my ribs again. I tensed, waiting for another kiss there. Instead, his nose brushed against my skin in a strange sweet manner. "Maybe you tell me that you want me out of here."

Fine, I could do that. Wasn't I feeling better? I could stretch out without feeling agony. The heat here seemed contained now within him. Though still queasy, I could probably at least knock him off the bed. Still, I decided to save my strength for now. But when I tried to tell Warren he should leave, my lips stuck together. His nose felt good, circling my bare skin.

Maybe I could give him a minute before forcing him to leave for good. If I asked, I could tell he would obey. He wasn't actually cruel or mean, even. Just... different, like he said.

"Penelope," he sang softly as he brought his nose up over my bralette to sit between my breasts. He inhaled deeply before sighing. "This, right here. This is near heaven."

I brought my hands up tentatively, shaking before slowly dropping over his hair. Damn. It really was as soft as I had imagined. Softer, even. "Near?" I echoed dumbly.

"Almost..." he nibbled at one breast before slowly moving his nose back down my ribs. Though I hadn't guessed where he might go last time, I could tell where he was going now. My stomach caved, ticklish when he reached me there. Then he found the line of my boy shorts.

Any expectations I had of him stopping there went out the door when he moved lower to kiss my thigh. He nibbled there while stroking my thighs with both of his hands. Laying there on his elbows, Warren didn't have a lot of movement. But he focused his attentions on me and I couldn't say no.

It just felt so good. He was hot and soft and hard and he knew just what to do. No one had ever played with me so gently, so delicately. Even as he moved above to my hipbone and tugged at my boyshorts with his teeth, it was difficult to stay consciously aware of everything going on. A different fever had taken over me now, sending a thumping through my heart. I nearly passed out when my boyshorts slid down to reveal my center to his face.

My hands were still buried in his hair. I had forgotten. My grip tightened as though this was a warning, one that he ignored. His lips brushed over my bare skin down there. Teeth, too. I thought of the bite on my shoulder and only remembered how good that had felt.

That had been so long ago, I thought. Last week had been a life time ago. Now was different.

"Wait," I managed to say when I remembered I hadn't showered yet today. I was sick and so dirty. "Warren, don't."

After kissing me once down there, a touch that sent my lower lips quivering, he chuckled and crawled up over me. I managed to crack an eye open to see him hovering overhead.

"It's going to be all right," he promised even as he propped himself up on one elbow while sliding one hand back down my hip. His fingers crawled over my bone to slide between my thighs. Though I was surely too sick for anything like that, I felt my heart race when he touched me down there. "There you go."

"Warren..." my eyes closed. Any intention I had of turning him down melted away under his touch. He could make me feel so good. I let go of his hair, letting my arms flop back on the bed. Though I tried to hitch up one leg, I was limited with my boyshorts stuck at my knees. But I managed to shift them open a little wider as he began stroking my folds.

A shuddering breath escaped me. It felt so damned good. He was good and calming and then his lips were on my shoulder. The muscles in my body were relaxing. I could almost forget about feeling ill. As a gentle throbbing grew there at my clitoris, I felt him carefully slide a finger inside.

I groaned. My hands grasped the bedsheets as I tried to stay tethered to my consciousness. I couldn't get the sensation of him out of my head. It was tight down there. Ridiculously tight. Shifting my hips up to make it easier, I wanted him to keep going. We hadn't made it this far before and now I wanted it more than anything. I could sleep later. My heart was racing and I was half-delirious with pleasure.

"Pen." He moved his nose across my collarbone and kissed me on my lips. When I didn't respond, he pinched my folds before pulling away. My eyes jerked open. Turning to him, I frowned. He offered a guilty grin. "We need to get you in the car."

It took a minute of staring at him while he licked his fingers for me to realize he had been playing me all along. Struggling to pull myself up on one elbow while pulling my shorts up with the other, I said with the little vehemence I could muster, "you bastard."

"Something like that." He kissed my shoulder and then rolled away, climbing off the bed. It was a smooth movement but on his feet I saw him waver a second. The grin on his face told me to ignore that. "Let's go. Jac is waiting for us."

I could go with the gorgeous man who was convinced about werewolves and mates as such who could please me better than most men with just one finger. Or I could stay put and see if he might try again right now.