“Yeah?” Rafe feigned astonishment. “Thank God. The suspense was killing me. Not.”
Mina rolled her eyes and giggled.
“Okay now,” Noah said, putting Brock down. “Remember what we talked about? Your mom and I need some grownup alone time to celebrate, so you’re going to go stay with Auntie Terin and Uncle Rafe tonight.”
Brock nodded. “Uncle Rafe and Uncle Tristan and me are going to be wolves and howl at the moon, and then Auntie Terin is going to read a story to me and the baby in her belly.”
He went over to Terin and laid his cheek on her baby bump. “Hi, baby wolf,” he said softly.
Rafe said, “If you could really hear the baby, you would tell me if he wants to be called Donatello, Michelangelo, or Leonardo.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle name at all, and he just doesn’t want to hurt your feelings,” Terin said. “Because I’m thinking that’s probably it.”
“Uh-uh,” Brock said. “She was just making up her mind. But she likes Michelangela the best.”
Rafe’s eyes went wide with shock. “She?” He stared at Brock. “It’s a girl?”
Terin smiled one of her tiny smiles. “That would be nice,” she said, slipping her arm around Rafe’s waist. “Don’t you think?”
They made their way out of the cabin, Terin and Brock leading Rafe, who was completely stupefied.
“It’s a girl,” he kept repeating, his hand on Terin’s stomach.
“Oh my God,” Mina said as she shut the door. “Can you see Rafe with a little girl? She’s gonna be a hellion and wrap him around her teensy pink fingers.”
Noah was grinning. “Yup. It’s going to be hilarious.”
He took her hands and pulled her to him. “I have one more thing before we get to the chocolate.”
Mina settled herself against him, snuggling up to the giant boner that was filling his jeans. “And what’s that, Angus McHottie?” she asked.
He laced their fingers together. “Come into my evil werewolf lair, and I’ll show you.”
He led her into the bedroom, and Mina gasped. Peach rose petals had been scattered across the bed, and candles were burning everywhere. Near the bed was an ice bucket with champagne. A microwave had been set up in the corner, with containers of molten lava cake and chocolate sauce on top.
Mina turned to him, a smile curving her mouth. “Angus McHottie, I do believe you’re trying to seduce me.”
“Mmm.” He moved in on her, unbuttoning her shirt slowly and sliding it off her shoulders. The feel of his fingers brushing her skin made her lady parts shiver. Every time they were together, he made her hotter, and she wanted him more. She thought her heart would burst with how much she loved him.
He ran his fingers over the bite scar on her shoulder. “When I did this, I thought I was about to lose you,” he said softly. “I just wanted you to know for sure that you were loved, forever.”
Tears began to sting her eyes.
“I don’t know if this is a real claiming mark,” he said. “Or just a mark from being Turned. And you don’t really need to be claimed—you’re a wolf now, so you’re a pack member in your own right.”
His fingers were still stroking her scars. “But this was the most important moment of my life,” he said. “The moment I realized I’d do anything—even lose you—to give you what you wanted most. And you wanted me to protect your son.”
He dipped his head and sipped at her lips, tasting them slowly. “Even if we don’t need it, I want to claim you for real, if you’ll let me. I want this mark to be about what we are together, not what we thought we’d lost. Can I do that?”
She nodded, tears streaming down her face. He smiled, his eyes filled with emotion.
Slowly, gently, he took her clothes off, piece by piece, kissing every place he exposed with exquisite gentleness. Then he let her undress him, smoothing her hands over his velvety skin, kissing the ridged muscles, running her tongue along the ‘v’ of muscle leading from his hipbones to his cock.
She cupped his balls, stroking him, and dipped her head for a little taste. He shivered with pleasure, but then he gently pushed her away.
He turned her around so her back was towards him, and heat rushed immediately to her pussy. They’d never done it this way before, and her wolf was yipping inside her with excitement and anticipation.
Noah stroked her spine, again and again, and let his hands trail down to trace the curves of her ass. Then he pushed her forward until she was on her hands and knees, and slipped his fingers between her legs.