Page 19 of Stalking His Mate

“Alright, baby. You’re right,” his eyes slide closed for a moment as he breathes deeply through his nose. “I need you to listen until I’ve finished telling you everything.” When his eyes open again, his expression is dead serious and maybe even a little… terrified.

“Okay. Just—I need you to tell me the truth. Whatever it is.”

Dante’s arms wrap around me, and he squeezes me tightly against his chest. “Always. I’ll always tell you the truth, I vow it.”

My heart is pounding, and all hints of teasing are gone from his expression. He’s serious as a heart attack and… and suddenly I wonder if I really want the truth from him after all.

“You know that monsters exist. That’s one of the stipulations that you have to agree upon before being accepted into the auction,” he says.

Oh. Oh, right.

With everything that has happened, I forgot about that part. Partially because Dante looks so… so human. That and running into him at the diner…

“So, what kind of monster are you, then?” I ask him cautiously.

His lips peel back from white teeth that suddenly look a lot sharper than I remember. It’s not a smile, though, this is him showing me what I asked.

“I’m a shifter. That’s why I look human to you. I am human. At least one half is. My other half is puma. Or mountain lion, panther, catamount, cougar. Take your pick, they all mean the same thing.”

Suddenly, I can see it. Not with my eyes exactly, but I feel the truth in his words.

“Alright, so you’re a cougar shifter,” my eyes go to his tattoo. “Is that your cat then?”

This time when his lips spread, it’s because he is smiling. “It is.”

“Ok,” I say with a slight nod, “that still doesn’t explain why you pulled away from me?”

His muscles tense around me and the sound of his swallow is loud with my ear to his chest. He’s quiet for a long time before he finally takes a breath to speak.

“What do you know about the mating habits of cats?”

“Um—?” I have no idea where he could possibly be going with this? “I mean, the basic stuff, I guess?” Which is practically nothing.

“Felines have barbs that run the length of their penis, it keeps them connected to the female during mating. Puma shifters… have something similar.”

My back straightens and suddenly I want to get as far away from Dante’s lap—his dick especially—as possible. But he holds me in place as he continues.

“In shifters, the barbs only engage when we ejaculate inside our mate.”

My knees snap shut, and I whimper.

“I wanted to warn you before it happened,” holding me tightly, he brings his mouth to my ear, “Don’t worry, my cum has special properties. It will trigger the most amazing orgasm you’ve ever had and dull any pain you might feel with the most exquisite pleasure.”

His deep, raspy voice sends waves of gooseflesh skittering across my skin, and heat pulsing between my legs.

“My barbs will lock us together, keeping my seed inside you,” he breaths hotly into my ear along with a low moan, “where it will trigger your ovulation and, Fates willing, plant itself nice and deep.”

I shiver at the erotic imagery, but quickly shake myself out of the stupor he’s managed to put me into.

“I barely know you,” I push myself back so I can look up at him. “If you think I’m going to be on board with letting you knock me up?—”

His arms tighten around me and he chuckles, “I know, baby. I know. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get the contraceptive shot before we leave. That should give us plenty of time to get to know each other before we need to think about adding to our family.”

My tight muscles relax at hearing that getting me pregnant isn’t part of his immediate plan.

“Mmm, but it turns me the fuck on thinking about breeding you,” then he leans down and silences me with his lips. Nipping and licking, before plunging his tongue to swirl and dance with mine until I nearly forget what it was we were arguing about.

“Wait. Adding to?” I gasp, pushing myself away from his heady kisses once more.

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