Mates: Prequel (Claws Clause 0)

Evangeline didn’t break his hold on her as she shifted her body, climbing out of the couch and tucking her legs next to Maddox’s. They were long, lean, and bare; despite not wanting to fall asleep, Evangeline was wearing one of his shirts as a sleep shirt.

And nothing else except for her panties.

“It never has been,” she said firmly, drawing his attention away from the vision of her sexy legs. “Are you nuts? Ever since our first coffee date, you’ve done everything to make me happy. And, yeah, some of it might have been creepy at first, but you’re a shifter, babe, and I just had to learn what that means. This is all new to me. I’m gonna mess it up, but we’ll figure it out as we go.”

“It’s new to me, too,” growled Maddox. His cock was all but pulsing as he caught a whiff of Evangeline’s arousal perfuming the air. The tiny scrap of fabric that covered her pussy did nothing to hide the mouthwatering scent. His whole body tensed, aching for even the smallest of tastes. He locked himself down, holding onto his control. This was important. Super important. “I’m gonna fuck it up sometimes, like not knowing the best time to propose. It wasn’t just a ploy to get you to agree to sleep with me, I swear.”

“Really?” A small curve to her lips, a single quirk of her eyebrow. “Because, well, it almost worked.”

“Wait—what?”

She shrugged, her green eyes shining brightly in open invitation. And love. Holy hell, there was so much love in her gaze.

“Mating is forever,” she said simply. “I’m a human and I know that. It’s why I really want to get married first… that way it’s forever in the eyes of a shifter and a human. ‘Til death do you part, right? That’s… that’s important to me, Maddox, but if you don’t mind me fumbling like the virgin I am…”

Evangeline slipped her hands out of his hold, boldly reaching out and laying her fingers against the bulge in his jeans as her words trailed to a close.

He jerked as if she had branded him. And, in a way, she had. She held his heart in her hands as easily as her fingers traced the length of his rock-hard cock.

“I don’t have to bite you,” he breathed out. “Not until we’re married.”

“That’s all I asked for,” Evangeline murmured, her voice gone even huskier.

She let go of the bulge in his jeans, reaching for the hem of her borrowed sleep shirt. His wolf nearly let out a howl of loss the instant she pulled away from him, but Maddox choked it back as she lifted the shirt over her head.

Instead, he let out a long groan when Evangeline bared her tits to him.

It was the first time she let him see her topless. With reflexes that nearly rivaled a shifter’s, she grabbed his hand, placing the callused palm against the mound of her breast. She leaned into him, tilting her chin back, inviting his kiss.

She was a tall girl, topping nearly six feet in heels, and her height had never been more sexy to him. He barely had to dip his head to meet her lips and he didn’t waste any time in doing so.

“I’m your mate,” she whispered. “So mate me, Maddox.”

Swallowing another growl, Maddox closed his mouth over hers, kissing her for a few heated seconds before she reached down again and bold

ly unbuttoned his jeans. Her fingers reached for the zipper, the teeth grinding against the tread as she slowly pulled it down.

Once she could, she slipped her hand beneath the band of his boxers, placing her fingers on his already weeping cock. She squeezed as he grunted, bucking in her hand as the soft side of her fingers sent a jolt of pleasure throughout his entire body.

He was just about to explode when she darted to pull her hand back, darting forward again to close her blunt human teeth on his bottom lip.

The air blossomed with the smell of her musk.

He knew what his virginal temptress was doing, too. She was giving him permission to get off his leash.

Alpha, was he ready to let go.

Almost mindless with lust, he lunged for her, scooping her up in his arms. He was still careful—he would always be careful with his delicate mate—but nothing was going to stop him from taking her now that she’d consented.

He ran right for the room, trying not to bust a nut then and there as Evangeline tucked her face into his neck, sucking gently on his throat.

No bite. Not today.

Not from him.

That was fine. She could nibble all she wanted. He had something more important to focus on. His erection was throbbing, pre-cum leaking through his bunched boxers as he tried to control himself. Coming before he even got his first taste wasn’t acceptable. Shit, he needed to make this good for her so that she wanted to do it again and again and again.

When he claimed her—and he would claim her—he would make it special. He would make it last.