The Mate That Wasn't Mine novel Chapter 88

TESSA POV

Tessa Pagano. The whole time I’d been under the shower I’d been thinking about it. And the thought made me smile. Why shouldn’t I chase that feelings! don’t want to be known as Tessa Darnell anymore. My family raised me, but they didn’t make me who I am.

My memories might be missing but only Maxim gives me that warm glow of comfort when I think of him. To try and conjure up the idea of “home” of focus my heart upon my surname, I’m left cold. Every single time.

My joy has come from being brave enough to get myself away from them. Learning about myself and what I am capable of. Maxim told me I was the top first–year archer and scent–tracer. I can be that again. I know it. I can keep growing.

Scrubbing myself clean, my thoughts wander to the stunning man I’d left in bed, daydreaming of how to traumatise Warden’s with his near–death experience. His brown hair in floppy waves, his stubble close to forming a delicious beard.

The way Hale dismissed his background and family name out on the ledge, there is something there. Something I want my mate to trust me with one day. I love his bright smiling joy, but I want it all. Every shade of Maxim, even the shadows.

It’s not unusual for mates to take each other’s surnames. Humans marry, elves entwine, shifters mate. But to form a family together, it’s custom for all to share last names.

At the idea of family I really do blush. Sticking my face into the water, avoiding my bundled up hair I give myself a warning for allowing Maxim to release inside me.

That’s a step way too far ahead. Way too crazy. Even though he would be the sweetest father.

Thank the Goddess he burst in before I started indulging fantasies of Maxim cradling little golden–eyed bundles in those god–like arms of his. For such a huge, awe–inspiring figure of a man he can be dangerously silly.

Those eyes, laced with hunger and lust, still seize me, even when he’s down on his knees. Kissing my stomach isn’t what thrills me, it’s the way his hands take hold of me. He has my hips, my ass and thighs under his command. It’s so grabby and demanding, making my body react with a flush of needy heat every single time.

“I want to be yours. Can I be Tessa Pagano?”

I received a hesitant, “You…you would want that?” in return.

For once our roles have switched. Maybe I have him hypnotised for a change. Looking down I can see my bite above his heart, his chiselled, stubbled jaw and honest face. Everything, down to his semi–hard cock and muscular legs knelt onto the white tiles. My wolf whispers ‘mine‘.

I think my strong, always–in–the–know mate might be in shock. I run a hand through his wet hair, trying to sound confident. “If I can choose, like you say, then that’s all I want.”

“Then…” but his mouth just breaks into a wide smile. He stands up and seizes me to him, my toes leaving the floor as he kisses me. “Yes. Of course.”

My legs quickly wrap around his waist, his hands gripping my ass. My chest is squashed against his, oak and berries filling my head, my wolf bouncing How many more levels of happiness are there to experience?

“You know it means heathen don’t you?” he murmurs into the crook of my neck, his teeth grazing where my bite from him is meant to be placed. “Well, it can mean rural, but I much, much prefer the idea of being a heathen,” his voice dropping down in tone, descending to those rumbling rasps that make me grateful we’re already naked.

“I should have known,” chuckling into him, before shrieking when he moves us both under the full force of the shower, my hair soaked. Kissing his cheek I murmur into his ear, face still beaming, “My heathen.”

I receive a completely filthy “Tess,” back in warning. To my surprise he puts me down and shuts off the shower. Rubbing his stubbled face furiously he mutters. “We’ve got to get dressed and see the new Alpha.”

1/3

Chapter 88

“Okay, moving past him slowly, not quite able to disguise the disappointment in my voice. He reaches out, grabbing my wrist, his eyes fun of fire in don’t think I’m not going to be craving you all day. This, you, looking like that is a form of torture for me?

My cheeks fire up and I’m looking down at the ground. He takes my chin in his hand. “Miss Pagano, why does that make you blush

“I can’t help it. I doubt anyone has ever made me blush so much in my life.”

“Good,” he adds with a wink. “Because as much as I want to have fun in the shower with you…and believe met really, really do, making me quliver urber his other hand lands on my waist. “What I want to do, over and over, is going to take a lot longer than five minutes, which is all we have before Varden Marshall knocks on the door.”

“He’s coming here?”

“Remy is sending him now.”

“Then–shit I’ve got to get dressed,” tugging against his wrist. Only for Maxim to keep hold of my wrist whilst dropping to the floor and kissing my stomach. “Maxim!”

He keeps going.

“MAXIM!”

He looks up at me with a grin. “Something for me to remember.”

Goddess he is a challenge. But as he stands up I decide to keep chasing the joyous feelings. So I drop to my knees. But I don’t kiss his stomach, I take his swollen, semi–hard cock in my mouth as far as I can and suck,

“TESS!” he exclaims, his hands threading into my hair, sending it tumbling down. I greedily place my lips around his rapidy stiffening cock. I’ve never done anything like before but he curses and shakes, swears he’s changing all the plans. So I keep going. The hot slightly bitter saltiness only making me suck harder, adding my hand around the length at the base, which won’t fit into my mouth.

“Tess Pagano you are…fuck!” he groans but he isn’t stopping me, when I look up at him to check his face, he is flushed, a vein standing on his neck.

Only for me to release him and stand up. With a quick kiss on the cheek I run into our room and start grabbing clothes out of my cupboard. “Tess!”

“Something for me to remember?” I whisper shakily, having my own attempt at a joke. For a moment he just leans against the doorframe, arms folded, with the same silly smile on his face as me. I’m flushed with a warm kind of pride this time. That I can make my mate smile like that.

Stood nearest the cupboard, I throw him some of his black uniform over the mattress that divides us. I can’t have him too close to me right now, I don’t trust myself not to do that again.

Just as I finish shrugging on a tight beige and gold long cotton jersey the door handle twists. Maxim, his black shirt half–buttoned, silently moves just behind the door as it swings open.

“Tessa!” Warden Marshall declares, his stern face melting into one of relief. “I’m so, so sorry it didn’t work. I thought you might have run back to-

“Hey-” Maxim exclaims, stepping away from the door and straight into the Wardens eyeline. Marshall flinches and instinctively launches a vicious punch straight into Maxim’s temple, sending him straight back onto the mattress on the floor.

“What the fuck!”

Marshall has his hands on his head, looking at the pair of us. “What do you mean, the fuck! I saw you fall! Youre…you’re meant to be dead! The ropes failed!”

“Might be dead now, shit you hit hard,” Maxim groans, squinting up at the man he is now equal in rank to. Marshall gives his blond, fairly fuzzy head a shake before offering his hand to help Maxim back up to standing.

“It worked then?” looking straight at me. ynod, “It failed when Hale hit it, his weight…took the whole lot down with them.”

10.42 Vreu, to Jun

Chapter 88

“I thought…I thought when I saw the ropes had gone that you’d…fucking hell Pagano,” he growls before grabbing my mate and giving him a bear hug, slapping at his shoulders. I watch, heart filling as Maxim’s face turns from grouchy to this humble, soft confusion.

He even places his own hands on the back of the Warden, the balance between the two slowly shifting. When they break Maxim offers his hand.

“Tess told me you helped her, so I owe you…well my life I guess.”

Warden Marshall smooths down his white and gray layers, his defences rising back up. “Not at all. It was the right thing to do. What’s wrong is that other Warden’s were happy for Hale to continue as he was. Remy needs you now, I hope you realise that.”

“Thank you, for everything else too. I know I’ve not been the easiest student…that we have clashed. Worse than clashed-”