Page 39 of Warwick

Too soon though, the kiss ended when Warwick pulled away. “There will be a whole lot more kissing. I promise you. But maybe we should get you into a bath to soak for a bit. I’ll get you a real meal, some more water, and coffee if you’d like.”

I moaned at his words. Those sounded like perfection. “That sounds so much better than it actually should. I’m not trying to pull away from you because you deserve for me to be taking care of you after everything you showed me just moments ago.”

Warwick chuckled. “Nonsense.” Warwick patted my hip, and when I realized he wanted me to move, I did. When he tossed the sheet aside, I finally got that first coherent look at the glorious body that belonged to my mate. I had to bite my lower lip hard to keep from moaning in appreciation.

Warwick’s chuckle turned to a deep laugh. My eyes slowly traveled up his body, stopping at his chest briefly before I moved on up to look at his face. “You do realize that you don’t have to bite your lip to keep from moaning, right? It pleases me to know you like my body.”

My eyes widened. Shit. He’d heard my thoughts. “I forgot. We’re mated, and there’s the bond thing.”

Warwick moved back to the side of the bed and leaned down. “Hmm…yes, we are. How do you think I knew exactly what you wanted over the past few days?” Warwick kissed me quickly before he stood back up. I wasn’t expecting it, but I should have. He grabbed me again. I squealed when he put me over his shoulder and started toward the door that connected the bedroom to our bathroom. The second we entered, I scented the bath.

“What are you doing?” I asked while laughing. I knew Warwick wouldn’t drop me, but I couldn’t ever remember being carried in such a way.

My world tilted, and then I was suddenly upright and sliding down Warwick’s body. My squeals and giggles turned to moans. Warwick kissed my nose, and then I slid down and away from him. When he stepped back, I registered the loss of his body touching mine.

“You take care of morning needs. I’ll be right back,” Warwick said. He kissed the top of my head and then walked away. I turned enough to watch him leave, once more appreciating the view as Warwick walked away. The man had a very nice backside. Then again, all of him was incredible. And he was mine. I shook my head in wonder. How had I gotten chosen as his mate? Me. I wasn’t anything nearly as wonderful as he was.

“You’re amazing. Much more so than I am,” Warwick called out from the other room. I grinned. Right. Thoughts. I had been told how the mate bond worked, and it was a relief to know that ours was certainly working. But should I limit my thoughts to him? Why? I sat on the toilet, thinking about what I possibly had in my memories that I should keep from my mate. Nothing. I had nothing there. He’d already had access to them, so why would I pull that?

It didn’t take long to take care of my needs, and when I was finished, I moved to the sink and washed my hands. I had my toothbrush in my mouth when Warwick reentered the bathroom. He had his phone in his hand, and I wondered why.

I spit out the toothpaste and nodded. “Do you need your phone in the bathroom?”

“No.” Warwick placed it on the counter between our sinks. “I was messaging Master Edison. He had checked in a couple of times, but he obviously knows what happens when mates meet and claim each other. He has been keeping your grandparents up to date because they were worried. They, too, were under the impression that you wouldn’t have a heat cycle after your last dinner together.”

Yeah, that. “How will we find out if it was real or not? What if it was just my body’s reaction to finding you? What if it wasn’t really a heat cycle, Warwick? I mean, I’m ninety-six. You would think that if I was going to have one, I would have by now. Wouldn’t I?”

Warwick shrugged before he placed his hand on my back and gently rubbed up and down. “I have come to realize that things are rarely what they should be any longer. I shouldn’t be here. I should be dead along with the other six hellhounds that are supposedly here in this realm.”

“Supposedly?”

Warwick nodded. “Hmm…yes. Five of us have somehow found our way here to the council. It’s my understanding that the goddess told Atticus that there would be six more after him and that he was to be our pack leader. That’s fine with those of us that have found each other. But we’re still missing two. Who are they, and where are they? And why do we suddenly get mates?”

I didn’t have an answer to any of those questions. “I’m not sure.”

“Nobody is. Maybe for whatever reason, the goddess decided that you would be a hellhound’s mate, and you would be able to have children with him. Maybe it would have been the same with any other alpha that had been chosen for you. Why does any of this happen to anyone?”

I sighed. “You really need to stop being silent and speak up more. Your friends don’t seem to think you’re much more than a quiet man that will mess everything up, but that’s not you at all. You are quiet, sure. But you’re amazing. You stepped up and took care of me. You recognized the signs of heat and did everything I asked and needed.”

“Any alpha that was worthy of having a mate would do those things though. Why is it that you think otherwise?”

“Okay, they would do that. But your guys think so little of you. Why?”

Warwick shrugged. “I really don’t mind what they think about me. I do my job, and I’m good at it. The council is appreciative of my contribution, so do I really need more validation?”

He wasn’t getting it. “But they’re your pack, Warwick. They warned me you were going to fuck everything up, but yet, you went out of your way to make sure you didn’t. Even without knowing what they thought. Doesn’t that bother you?” If it didn’t, it should. Warwick was amazing, and everyone needed to see it. I got it—he didn’t like people. I didn’t blame him for the most part. But his own pack seemed to have so little faith in his abilities. That was wrong, and they needed to realize it.

“I’ll talk to them. Later. Right now, my concern is you and getting you into the tub to soak. There is an oil that Master Edison sent. He said to add it to the water, and it will help with all of the aches and such.”

I sighed. He was deflecting a bit, but I wasn’t going to argue about it more. “Fine. Bath. Are you joining me?” I really wanted to feel his arms wrapped around me again. Warwick glanced at the tub before nodding.

“I think I’ll fit.”

I grinned. We would certainly find out soon enough. And if he did, I had plans. Maybe not for today, but definitely in the very near future.

Chapter 15

Warwick

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