My body strained androlled as I worked through my orgasm, milking his cock. Mace leanedforward to groan against my neck and came with a broken roar thatleft me in no doubt he’d had the same soul-wrenching experience ashe’d given me.
The room fell silentas my screams stopped. I turned my head to one side and rested in apile of sweat and tears and our mixed desire. Mace disappeared fora second while I floated on a bed of nothingness. For once, someonehad touched me, and the usual dose of fear hadn’t come.
I’m not afraid.
That should havemeant more to me than it did at that moment, and I could unpack itlater on. But for right now, I was safe. Used, sore, panting, butsafe.
Fingers worked at myankles and wrists in a tender touch. Mace massaged around myshoulders and hips, sliding a hand between my breasts to encouragecirculation, reducing the pins and needles that could spring up anddrag me out of the haze of post-fucking void I willingly sankinto.
His arms slippedaround me, beneath me, and he lifted me into his arms. Myhalf-clothed body pressed to naked skin. I leaned my cheek to hisbared chest, resting my tender wrists against his heart, and lethim carry me to the large chair in the far corner. He shifted, onearm tight around me while the other searched blindly for the pileof blankets and threw a blanket over us both.
I thought he mightspeak, but Mace seemed as worn out as me, both physically andemotionally. His arms curled around me in our small nest, and hedrew me tight into his embrace, caging out the world while I fellasleep with another person for the first time in years.
****
A small eternitylater, Mace helped me tidy myself up, smoothing my hair andpeppering me with kisses, like he couldn’t get enough of my mouthor holding me. I understood the need, clinging to him while my legsstill shook.
He led me past thewhipping post, keeping himself between it and me, but for the firsttime since I’d come to work at Fray, I wasn’t afraid of it or ofwhat I’d suffered there before.
Who I had been.
Mace helped mecreate new memories to replace the damaged ones, and I knew thatwith his help, I’d heal. All I had to do was ask.
The lightbox by thedoor glowed green. I would have glared at it, but I didn’t haveenough energy left.
“Do you want to hangout for a drink upstairs with Rafe? I think he’d like to talk toyou, make sure you’re okay with everything and that I haven’t takenadvantage of you.” Mace’s narrowed eyes revealed concern and atouch of worry.
I yawned, tucking myhead into his shoulder. “Too late. We should say hi.” Not that Icared. I’d do whatever Mace wanted right now. Forever.
He laughed, pullingme tight into his chest. Mace kissed me, long and slow until mybody, still trembling, turned to liquid in his hands. “I hope youdo like sleeping in the daytime, little bat. Because you’re sure asfuck not getting any sleep for the next week or more.”
I giggled and cantedmy head to one side as he led me up the stairs. “How long have youknown about shifters?” The knowledge remained successfully hiddenfrom the general human population. I knew Rafe and Killian and afew others, like Josiah, who ownedReserve, the gym they allseemed to frequent, worked their combined sexy asses off to makethe closed community a safe place.
He shrugged andlifted me in his arms. I squeaked and batted at his strongshoulders—more built than I’d initially given him credit for—whilehe ignored my efforts.
“A few years ago, Iwalked into Reserve, the shifter gym. A typical ignorant human, Ihad no damn idea. I went in one afternoon, looking for a boxingcoach. Josiah took me on after a quick fight and introduced me toRafe in the locker room. Guys don’t usually check out another dude,but when the man next to you morphs into a giant fucking eagle,curiosity wins out.”
“I think that’sfair.” I snuggled into his arms as he tucked the remnants of myskirt over my ass as best he could.
I would have toldhim not to bother, but he seemed to have a chivalric side thatmatched his Man in Black costume to the nth degree, and I was goodwith that.
The Halloween partywas in full swing by the time we made it back up to the groundfloor. Shifters danced around the front area of the stage where aflogging scene was in progress. The girl’s beast broiled beneathher skin, begging to be released, but the Domme shook her head, andher skin tone returned to normal.
I smiled, lettingMace push everyone out of our way as he carried me to the VIPlounge Rafe and Killian frequented and set me in his lap in alarge, curved leather seat. I curled in place, unwilling to move.He never let me go once, taking the drinks James Gwan, our blackswan bartending shifter, brought across.
“You found eachother okay?” Rafe patted my hair in a familiar gesture.
I leaned into histouch, soaking up the extra love and attention my weird freak mindneeded right now. Mace didn’t appreciate it half as much.
He swatted at Rafe’shand with a closed fist. “You gave her to me.”
Part of me objectedto being owned, the part that had been fiercely independent for solong out of necessity while the other part of me didn’t. I snuggledinto Mace and let the boys duke it out while I napped on the manwho stood between me and my greatest fear, who helped me conquer itin a single night of a few hours.
Who gave me a placeto serve when I’d flitted around from place to place, wanderingwith no real destination until Rafe found me the Dom I’d searchedfor.
I raised my head andkissed Mace, halting his playful tiff with Rafe mid-snark. “Thankyou. Happy Halloween, M—Sir,” I corrected myself.
“Feels weird, uh?”He grinned down at me, pulling me into his rapidly hardening cockthat pressed against my belly.
