Slate's Mistake (11 page)

A familiar voice traveled to his ears, and his heart
sped up to a furious speed filled with hope.
That’s Henry!
He could hear the pilot greeting him. “Mr. Ashland, I
presume.”

“Yes, you must be Raven Shaw. This is my daughter,
Katie.”

With those distant words, Slate’s heart stopped, his
pain completely forgotten. His stomach leaped into his throat, and hope, like
he had never felt before, bloomed in his chest.
Is she here to see me off? Or is she actually flying home with me?
He sniffed the air trying to get a whiff of her scent to confirm she was really
here.

There were some mumbled words that were too low for
him to hear, but the unique sound of her voice was recognizable and he knew it
was her. He heard light footsteps drawing near. Slate’s lungs pulled in a gasp
of breath, and he felt the relief of oxygen fill his lungs.
When did I stop breathing?

Slate caught sight of Katie just as she entered the
plane. Her face was radiantly lit with a smile aimed right at him. He returned
her smile with one he hoped was just as vibrant, but didn’t think he fully
succeeded, and held out his arms for her. She didn’t hesitate to come to him.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her head
against his shoulder and kissed her temple as she kneeled before him. Her silky
hair tickled his nose, and her body fit his so perfectly, it pulled a
comfortable sigh from him. He was bereft when she wanted to pull back so soon,
but he didn’t want to force her, so he let up on his grip.

“Why are you in this seat and not on that couch? You
look like you’re in loads of pain, and don’t downplay it. I’m a nurse, and I’ll
call you on it every time.”

“Hey Kat,
finlly
gut here I
see,” a groggy Kace slurred, his accent more pronounced in his sleepy state.

Slate was confused. “Wait, you knew she was coming?”

Kace stretched and yawned.
“Yup.”

Slate started to growl but was cut off by his mate,
who had a look of horror and shock on her face. “She didn’t tell you?”

“Who tell me what?” He kept his sights on Kace so he
wasn’t growling at his mate. He didn’t want her to think it was her he wanted
to choke.

“Gale. She helped me arrange everything this afternoon
so I can come with you. She didn’t tell you?”

“No, in fact, not even Alphy told me, he just said to
trust him.” Slate looked over at Kace. “You knew? Why wasn’t I told?”

Kace grinned. “
Suh’m
tuh
do with
gett’n
you back for
scarrin’ her the other night.” He shrugged. Slate took perhaps too much enjoyment
at seeing Kace flinch from the pain in his arm at his movement.

“Oh really?
Huh, well this is going to be fun.” Katie’s voice had a tone of retribution in
it. He was about to question her when the pilot climbed in, taking his seat,
and Henry poked his head in.

“Ok sweetheart, you’re all set, I’ll see you in a
couple of weeks.” Henry waved, then turned and left with Katie waving back.

She turned her gaze on Slate. “Now you need to go lie on
that couch, and you aren’t going to argue about it. Come on.” She helped him up
and settled him on the couch with his feet propped up with pillows, and another
two under his head then draped a blanket over him.

The captain called through the cab. “I’m going to need
you in your seat, Miss Williams.”

Slate growled, strengthening his hold on her hand but
relented, knowing she was safer if she was seat-belted in.

“Don’t worry, my mate, as soon as he gives the all
clear, I’ll be back here with you again.” Katie reassured him and leaned over
to kiss him. But Slate was too overwhelmed with need after finding out she was
his now, and her acknowledging him as her mate was the push to not settle for just
a chaste kiss.

Slate brought his hands up and cupped both sides of
her face drawing her down to him. He connected their lips with a seductive
suction that wasn’t gentle. Rather, it was sure to relate his promise of other
things to come. With the pilot’s urging, he reluctantly drew his mate back. The
scent of her arousal filled the cabin giving Slate a different kind of discomfort,
but, however, this was a pain he wasn’t going to regret or complain about. True
to her word, as soon as the captain gave his ok, Katie was back with him, and
he didn’t let her go until it was time to land.

Slate held his arms around her as she knelt on the
floor next to him. “I can’t believe you’re here. So I take it your dad and
sister are
going to pack up your stuff and drive it to
Bancroft for you?”

“Nope.
I didn’t have much as personal stuff goes, so I packed up what I wanted and
gave the rest, and my apartment, away to a co-worker who lost his house in a
fire recently. What I got, is what I got.”

If Slate wasn’t already in love with her before, there
was no way he wasn’t now. She surprised him and made him very proud. In fact,
after he claimed his mate, he was going to risk calling his mother and telling
her all he had been blessed with.
“I get to keep you?” His voice sounded hopeful.

Her answering smile warmed him. “Yeah, and I get to
keep you right back.”

Back on the ground, as they were taxied to a private
hanger, Kace complained, “Finally we can get some clean air. Being stuck in a
small space the whole flight with you two was torture. The pheromones you two
put off were so thick, it gave me a headache.”

Slate snickered at Kace. Slate had kept Katie turned
on the entire flight, and he wasn’t about to be ashamed of it. He was damn
proud of it. He wanted her to know how much he wanted her and how happy he was
she was here with him. He had touched her, kissed her, and whispered promises
of things to come in her ear, making sure to let his hushed breath tantalize
her ear as he said them. He would do anything for his mate. Torturing Kace was
just a bonus. Served him right for being so comfortable and also for knowing
about Katie coming and not telling him. Yes, Slate was a happy, happy man right
now.

They were met by Enzo, Matteo, and Nix. Matteo and Nix
were the ones heading back with the plane to help Alphy. Slate was helped into
the van as the men unloaded the plane. They had more supplies, at Seamus’s
request, to load onto the plane as it was being refueled. Then the two men and
pilot boarded the plane and taxied back out onto the runway.

The ride home in the van didn’t hurt nearly as bad as
the one to the airport. It may have had something to do with his new mood
change, but he didn’t care why. He was excited to get his mate home and settled
into their room. Just the sound of that made his lion purr and his cock twitch.

Enzo talked as he drove. “I’ve been kept apprised of everything
that’s happened, including everything about Katie.”

“Funny how I don’t recall seeing Alphy on the phone
much.” Kace shot an innocent look towards Enzo and batted his eyes at the man.

Enzo shrugged. “Ryker and I talk a lot. Anyways, Kace,
your buddies finally arrived. They have already gotten to work and finished
laying the foundation for Betty’s cabin. They did it all in one day. They’ve
also been instructing the two vamps.”

“Nice! I can’t wait to see them. They’re a good group
of guys.”

Enzo was unapologetic as he dipped and rolled through
the potholes while driving the dirt driveway to the house … that is until Slate’s
mate yelled at him.

“You’re hurting him! If you don’t slow down you’ll
re-open his wounds, and I don’t care if you were the queen of England, should
that happen, you
will
be bleeding
from your torn open nut-sack and your bloody balls will become crushed pulp
between my fingers, you got me,
beta
?”

Slate didn’t really know whether to be worried for his
mate because she’d just threatened a higher ranking pack member, or prouder
then a peacock how tough and caring she was that she would do that for him.
Enzo must not have known how to respond either because he didn’t say anything,
but he did slow down.

“
Dayum
, Katie, I’ll make a
note to never piss you the hell off. My balls are crying right now.”

“Yeah, mine, too.” Enzo’s strained voice was easily
heard.

Slate couldn’t laugh like he wanted to, so instead he
drew his mate closer and kissed her. He was a very lucky shifter and was very
proud of her.

Once Slate was deposited in his bed, he took that time
to regain his breath while Katie brought in her things. Once she brought the
last bag in, he motioned for her to come to him.

“Come here, Baby-Kate.” His fingers hugged her wrists
as he pulled her to him. Her lush, soft form molded warmly to his side. Slate
gave in to his need and sealed their lips together. Desire perfumed the air
around them, and Slate’s hands tingled as he ran them up and down her soft and curvy
form.

She mewled into his mouth. The sounds shot an electric
current straight to his balls, and he felt a drop of pre-cum dampen his pants.
Slate gripped her soft ass cheeks and held her hips tight against his straining
shaft, and rotating his hips, he ground his hardened member against her hip.

Katie’s breath settled over his face in rapid puffs as
she pulled back. “Slate, we can’t, you’re hurt.” She wined as she said it,
causing Slate to smile. He knew she was aroused as much as he was.

“Yes, we can. My dick works just fine, baby. Please
let me claim you.” Ok, so the last part came out a bit more desperate then
earnest, he had lost his patience. “There are more ways than missionary,
Baby-Kate.” He had so many things he wanted to say to her, to convince her, but
he didn’t want to push her too hard into this. Slate closed his eyes and held
her head against his forehead. “I won’t push. If you want for me to just hold
you tonight, then I’ll be thankful you are in my arms and in my bed.” Even as
he said this, his lion was in the back of his head growling his frustration,
but she was too important to make a mistake like this.

“Ok.” Her breathy answer washed over his lips, but
Slate stopped for a second.

“Uh, is that ‘ok’ for me to hold you tonight or is
that ‘ok I can claim you’?”

Katie’s hands traveled up his arms and over his
shoulders. She placed them on the bed on each side of his neck and balanced her
body on them as she swung one leg over his body until the split in her wet core
was resting on his over-heated cock. She was careful not to lean back on his
hip or push against his side as she straddled him. “Both.”

Slates breath left him as did his control. He pulled
her face back down to his and kissed her earnestly. Keeping his lips secured to
hers, he glided his hands down her back until he reached the hem of her shirt.
Tucking his fingers under the hem, he raised the shirt over her body. He pulled
away from her flavored lips long enough to pull her shirt over her head and, so
not to have to pull away again, reached a hand behind his head and yanked off
his t-shirt.

He was about to feast on her plump lips again, but she
leaned back and admired his muscles, running the warm palms of her hands over
the planes of his abs and pecs and down his large muscular arms. She was
careful not to touch any of the bandages. Fortunately, he only had two and then
the big main injury on his thigh. The other wounds were already pinked with
scarring.

Slate took this time to admire her soft creamy flesh.
The mounds of her breasts were handful sized, and his mouth watered at the
thought of latching onto one of her hardened nipples, which he could see were
desperately trying to poke through their silken casing. Her perky orbs rose out
as she arched her back and reached her arms behind her, unlatching the bra and
tossing it aside. Dusky pert nipples adorned her smooth skinned globes.

His fully erect cock jerked painfully, but all he
could think about
was tasting
her. He pulled her
forward and up enough to latch on to one nipple. Pre-cum seeped abundantly in
his jeans, causing a cold sensation to further stimulate the area. He feasted
on her nipple and thrilled at her whimpers, moans, and squeaks.

Oh hell yeah! My mate is a
noisy lover.
The desire to see if she
was a screamer thrummed through his system, and he nearly came when his over-stimulated
dick was wrapped in the warm hold of one of her delicate hands.

Slate popped off her nipple and groaned loudly. He
wanted her to know how good her touch felt to him, and he didn’t think he could
hold in his sounds of pleasure anyway. He eagerly reattached himself, this time
on the other nipple and rolled his tongue around it and flicked it along with
his suckling. The pressure on his dick disappeared. Slate briefly felt a pang
of disappointment and whimpered.

Dang, not even mated yet
and she has me whimpering like a cub.

Katie pulled back, and Slate was forced to relinquish
his tasty prize. He watched her shimmy carefully down his legs until she was
sitting just below his knees. Her delicate hands worked the button on his pants,
and then the rough serrated sound of the zipper being lowered filled the room.
All the while she was giving him a sexy sultry look that sent his dick into
convulsions.