Hungry Like a Wolf (Claws Clause 1)

Was there a reason?

“I can feel you’re close, baby. Don’t be embarrassed about it. Let it go. I remember how quickly you recover. You’ll be ready again in no time, hmm? And then we can get to the good part.”

As if her words were a trigger for his release, Maddox’s whole body jerked as thick jets of hot semen spurted out, covering his stomach. She giggled, then brazenly pulled her nightgown up and over her head. Wadding it up into a ball, she swiped at his chest until she’d gotten rid of the last bit of his cum.

“There you go. All nice and clean.”

Maddox was stunned by the amazing sight of Evangeline’s bare breasts bouncing gently in front of him. Holy shit, she wasn’t wearing a bra. This time he had to pinch himself to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming.

The pinch hurt. This was all real. Didn’t mean he had half a clue what was going on here.

“Evangeline, what are you doing?”

“My mate,” she answered before boldly reaching for his cock again.

The stupid thing didn’t know when to stay down. At her touch, it stiffened and rose, like a dog begging for more.

Too bad it wasn’t getting anything else. Not from Evangeline. Maddox was an asshole, but he wasn’t a fucking asshole.

“Angie,” he groaned her name as she gave him another experimental tug. Grabbing a pillow, he covered himself before moving out of her reach. “You can’t.”

“Are you telling me no?”

“I’d rather die, but you don’t understand.” His mind racing, the scent of her heady arousal doing a number on him, Maddox scrambled for an excuse that wouldn’t leave his mate believing that he didn’t want her. He wasn’t that much of a dick. Between showing her the marriage certificate and now, something had switched inside of her. Instead of swearing that she never wanted to see him again, now she was giving him a handjob and propositioning him like she used to.

If he thought she was serious, that she really meant this, he’d be on top of her in a heartbeat. But as much as he dreamed of a wet and willing Evangeline, he knew he’d be the world’s biggest asshole if he took advantage of her.

And then it hit him. “We can’t because I don’t have any condoms here.”

Maddox might have been willing to do anything to have his mate back with him but, despite what Evangeline accused him of, he wasn’t delusional. He hoped for this, he prayed for this, but he never expected that she’d ever let him touch her again. So condoms? Not on the list of things he had Colt prepare for him.

Boy, was he regretting that oversight now.

Maddox was the one who always insisted on the condoms. He had to. Even though he and Evangeline had been each other’s one and only so diseases weren’t an issue, unplanned pregnancy was. Because a shifter could only be with their fated mate—and because mating ensured future generations of pups—any time there was unprotected sex, pregnancy was not only possible, it was almost guaranteed. When they first started mating, he and Evangeline both agreed to wait until they were a little older before they thought about starting a family.

That wasn’t the only reason why Maddox refused to go bareback. To claim his mate, Maddox had to do two things: bite her in a claiming bite at the exact moment he released inside of her. The temptation would have been too strong to claim her if he knew she was willingly accepting his seed and the possibility of carrying his child. She’d been adamant that she didn’t want to be claimed until after they were married.

It was the biggest regret of his life. But if he listened to her now, claimed her, then had to hear Evangeline say one more time that she wasn’t his… it would kill him. What the Cage didn’t accomplish, what the silver collar didn’t manage, she would do with a simple denial.

So, as much as he was delighted to have Evangeline in his bed again, he wouldn’t dare go another step further without any protection.

“What if I said I didn’t care?”

“I’d say that’s a quick turn around. Remember your ankle? You messed it up trying to escape, and now you want me to believe you changed your mind about me?”

28

She bit her bottom lip. Maddox wanted to slap himself in the head. Here she was, warm and willing and in his bed, and what did he do? Force her to confront the shitty thing he did that led her there.

“I’m sorry, Ang—”

“No. Don’t be. You’re not wrong. Three days ago, I would’ve rather broken my leg than even think of doing this… but I’m beginning to remember. I think— I have this… I don’t know… this hunch that this is the answer.”

Hunch. Maddox’s wolf sat up. A hunch to a human was like his instincts. Maybe she wasn’t sure that taking this step—taking this amazing, wonderful, final step—could bring back the rest of her memories. But if she could sense something was there between them…

“Angie, I—”

“Shh. Please, let me finish. I have to… I have to say this before I lose my nerve. Okay? Some kind of tie is here. I’ve been trying too hard to deny it. Something is here. I… I feel it inside of me. I think I always have. I’m your mate, right? It’s what you’ve been telling me for days. What if doing this together is what helps put it all in place?”