Her Brother, Her Mate

After Cathal pulls away in the transport vehicle, Parker comes up from behind me and wraps his arms around me.

“I know you won’t like this, but I don’t think you should leave the packhouse without protection until they find her.”

I looked back and glared at him, “I can handle myself.”

He sighs, “I know you can, but it’s still not safe. You know she’s going to come after you.”

“Then I’ll kill her,” I told him in a hard voice, wiggling free from his hold. He brushes his fingers through his hair, something he often does when he’s exasperated, and turns to Elena and my dad to back him up. To my surprise, my dad agrees with him.

“Carli, honey. He’s right. I don’t even want you staying in your room by yourself.”

I scoff, “I think if she’s going to have a target, I’m a great choice. I can defend myself. Courtney should be the one being careful right now.”

“She is. Nate even gave in and is letting Casey stay with her 24/7 now,” Elena tells me. “We won’t put a warrior on you around the clock like Nate is doing, but I won’t be able to rest if you are alone in that room. Can you just move in with us for now?”

My disgruntled face softens at her words. I don’t want to make her worry.

Parker pulls me back to him, and I allow him to wrap his arms back around me, “Please, Carli? I’ll go crazy too, knowing you’re alone. If something happens to you, it will kill me,” he whispers to me, rubbing his nose up and down my neck. I g*****d, trying to ignore the faint tingles and heat shooting through my skin at the gesture.

“She could move back to the alpha quarters too,” my mom decides to make an appearance, slipping under Alpha Jared’s arm. Her face is studying me hopefully, making my face contort in confusion. Why the hell would she want me to move back there?

“I’m good. I don’t really want to go somewhere I’m not wanted. I’ll move in with my dad and Elena,” I scrunched my eyebrows and turned to look at my dad, “Temporarily. I think you are being over cautious about nothing.”

Luna Mary’s face falls into a grimace as she regards Elena’s triumphant expression, then she looks at Alpha Jared expectantly.

Alpha Jared grimaces, but quickly fixes his face into a polite mask and addresses me, “You will be moving back there eventually anyway. I think moving back to the alpha quarters would be for the best. You can have your old room back, or stay with Parker. If you choose your room, I can have omegas clear out Mary’s workout equipment tomorrow and have new furniture brought in-”

“You got rid of my furniture?” I asked in a hard voice. There were several empty bedrooms on the alpha’s floor. Why the hell would they need to turn the room that used to be mine into a home gym?

Parker grips me tighter, his face falling into a scowl. Dad covers his eyes and shakes his head in exasperation while Elena is glaring at Mary. My mom had the decency to look embarrassed at my question.

“I, uh, liked the view from your room so I use it for my morning workouts,” she says softly.

Bull s**t. My room had the worst view overlooking the dumpsters and truck delivery entrance.

“As much as I would love for Carli to be with me, I think the best place for her would be with her parents,” Parker said, looking down at me and smiling, “I’ll help you pack up.”

Parker starts leading us towards the packhouse when my dad calls out to him, “We’re going to go help the fairy envoy search for our missing friend. Can you stay with Carli until we get back?”

Parker smiles brightly, “Gladly.”

***

Back in my room, before I pack up my things to move over to the Gamma quarters, I very much need a shower. The mud was fun in the moment, but now that that moment is gone, I feel disgusting and have mud in some very uncomfortable places.

“I need to shower,” I told Parker. He looks at me hesitantly for a few seconds before I give him a small smile, pulling on his hand. “Want to join me?”

His radiant smile makes my heart skip a beat. He pulls me into his arms, “Are you still drunk?”

I laughed, going up on my tippy toes and pulling his lips down to mine, “Not at all.”

Parker’s mouth against mine is like fireworks going off in my head. His breath tastes so sweet as his tongue dances with mine. Parker’s hands roamed my slick body, pulling the ties for my bikini and letting it fall to the ground.

I hook my thumbs in the waistband of his shorts, pushing them down so they fall as we start walking together towards the bedroom and bathroom. Parker’s hands stay firmly on my waist, like he’s trying to hold himself back from touching me more. I’m not as well-behaved.

My hands are exploring his muscles as they ripple beneath my touch. I grip his tight a*s and pull him against me and he g****s into my mouth.

“You’re killing me here,” he whispers.

“What?” I looked up at him innocently, “I want to get more dirty before I get clean.”

“Only you would get turned on after hearing your life could be in danger,” he tells me, kissing down my neck and sucking gently on my marking spot. “I’m not going to take you until Saturday, Carli.”

What?! I pulled back and glared at him, “Why?”

He chuckles, turning on the shower, then pulling me in with him. “Because I want you to feel the full mate bond. I don’t know if I can hold back marking you if we get too far gone.”

I grumble a curse, pushing him to the side so I can pick up my shampoo and get the mud out of my hair now that he has ruined my fantasy of shower s*x. Parker starts rubbing my neck and shoulders and I’m now trying my best to ignore him.

“Don’t be grumpy. That doesn’t mean I can’t make you feel good. I just can’t control myself.”

“I’m not in the mood anymore,” I mutter, rinsing the suds from my hair. Even though I’m upset, I still turn to face him, shampoo in my hand and force him to lean down so I can wash the chunks of mud from his curly blonde locks. He chuckles softly, and lets me do it, gripping my h**s while I work.

I shift him so he can lean under the shower stream, needing him to bend over since he’s so insanely tall.

“I can wash my own hair,” he smiles at me as water streams from his face.

“Shut up,” I muttered, rinsing the last of the shampoo from his hair. He bites his lips to keep from laughing at me.

I wash my body, allowing Parker to wash my back for me, then slip out of the shower so he can finish on his own. I’ll take another shower and finish on my own later, if you catch my drift.

I’m slipping on shorts and a sports bra when Parker comes out of the bathroom. “Have any sweats or clothes that would fit me?”

I did, actually. Casey would sometimes come back with me when Simone had their Jeep and shower and get ready for school or work here. I open the bottom drawer of my dresser and pull out a pair of shorts, a shirt, and even boxers and toss them at Parker.All content © N/.ôvel/Dr/ama.Org.

He looks at them with distaste, not moving to put them on. “Why the hell do you have an entire drawer filled with guy’s clothes?”

I stand and smirk at him, “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Maybe if he gets jealous he’ll give in to me now.

He growls, then raises the shorts to his nose and sniffs them. “You’re lucky they’re Casey’s. I know you haven’t hooked up with him.”

I rolled my eyes, then started the task of packing up everything I would need to spend the night with the Childes.

Parker helps me carry my stuff down to the Gamma quarters, then helps as I unpack in their spare bedroom.

“Still mad at me?” Parker asks, pulling me to stand between his knees as he sits on the bed.

“Frustrated,” I grumble, “I’m not mad. I’m frustrated.”

“Carli,” he breathes my name like a prayer, “I’m not just another lay for you, and you sure as f**k aren’t one for me. Our first time is going to be when you can feel the full mate bond too. Think of how amazing it will be.”

“I wanted shower s*x,” I pout.

He laughs, “After Saturday, you can have shower s*x every day for the rest of your life.”