XXIX

Early morning sunlight piercing through the sliding glass door is what awakes me. I lift my head, glancing around the room in an attempt to get my bearings.

Oh, that's right.

I'm in Mateo's room.

And I'm in here because we had sex.

And not just once, either. After he brought me to orgasm three consecutive times, we came together several more times in all different positions.

We only stopped because, after the last time, I thought my body was going to give out on me. I literally could not take anymore pleasure.

I hear a light snore, and I glance over to my right to see Mateo sprawled out on his stomach, one arm under the pillow his head lays on. The covers are bunched up at his waist giving me a good view of his toned, tanned, and muscular back.

I almost audibly moan at the memory of what that same back felt like as I dug my fingernails into it last night.

Last night...

It was probably the best night of my life. Being intimate with Mateo for hours straight and finally acting on the inexplicable connection we have, filling each other with ecstasy—it was something out of this world.

I'd only had sex twice before in my life. The first time was with some guy at a party my junior year of high school. The second time was with one of Seth's friends. He belonged to one of the higher ranking families back at Saint Ives. I don't regret doing it with either of them, but both times were nothing special.

With Mateo it was different. I genuinely wanted it, and not because I was looking for some relief from my dysfunctional ass family and life, but because I really like him, and it's obvious the attraction is mutual.

I'm knocked out of my thoughts by Mateo shuffling next to me. He lifts his head and looks around. His eyebrows are scrunched together, and his eyelids are only half open giving him a sexy, sleepy appearance.

"Good morning," I say softly with a smile.  He looks at me and the corner of his lips tilt up in a smirk. He rolls onto his side, reaching for me and pulling me to him. With my back now pressed to his front and his arms wrapped around my torso, he nuzzles his face into my neck, tickling me with his scruff. We're both naked as the day we were born, and his warm skin against my back feels heavenly.

"It's a good morning, indeed," he says, and I giggle. I feel something hard pressing between my ass, and I let out something between a gasp and a moan.

"My Goddess, Mateo. How are you already hard again?"

He hums in amusement. "I've got the most beautiful, tantalizing woman in the world in my bed, how could I not be?" I blush at his compliment, turning over to face him.

"Then maybe this beautiful, tantalizing woman should take care of it for you." His eyes darken, my words filling him with lust. I push at his chest, making him lay flat on his back as I climb over and straddle him.

Taking his engorged member into my hand, I pump it a few times, making his breath hitch. I lift up and rub the tip over my pussy lips and down to my opening, where I stick it in only a little before taking it out and going back to pumping.

"Such a tease," Mateo groans, and I smirk down at him. He reaches to put his hands on my hips, but I grab them and slam them down on the bed above his head.

I shake my head. "Ah ah, no touching," I whisper against his lips. I kiss him deeply, biting down on his bottom lip and giving it a pull as I retreat. He growls, the sound vibrating his chest and through me, turning me on even more. Keeping his arms pinned to the bed with one hand, I use the other to reach down and guide his thick cock into my entrance.

He lifts his hips from the bed in pleasure, trying push more of himself inside me. "Mierda, Savannah. You feel so good," he comments breathily. Removing my hands from his, I place them on his chest to use it as leverage as I begin to roll my hips. I let out a loud moan at the sensation.

"Holy fuck," I pant, throwing my head back in pure bliss. Mateo groans, attempting to sit up, but I forcefully shove him back down onto the bed, making him huff out a laugh in surprise. I rise up, lifting my hips until only the tip of his cock is still inside me before I slam back down on it.

"¡Chingados!" Mateo curses, and I continue to rock my hips in a rhythm that drives us both insane with rapture.

My orgasm builds quickly, and the pleasure is almost unbearable as I scream in ecstasy. Leaning back, I brace myself on the bed, hands behind me. Mateo takes the opportunity to sit up and grab my hips, viciously slamming me down on him.

I come with a scream that burns my already sore throat as I let it out, and a moment later, Mateo follows suit coming inside me with a roar, creating a cacophony of sounds of extreme pleasure.

He falls onto his back, and I collapse on top of him in exhaustion, both of us breathing heavily in unison. When we finally catch our breaths, I go to roll off of him, but he wraps his arms around me, keeping be glued to his chest.

"Where do you think you're going?" He growls.

I laugh as he rolls us so I'm laying on my back and he's hovering over me. He presses his lips to mine in a soft kiss that warms my insides.

"I love to hear you laugh," he whispers when he pulls away.

I smile abashedly as my cheeks redden.

He laughs, shaking his head. "We just spent the last however many hours ravaging each other, and you're blushing because I like your laugh?"

I shove his chest, making him chuckle even more as he presses his face into my neck, nipping at it lightly.

"I want to mark you so badly," he admits.

My eyes widen at the prospect. "You can only do that to your mate," I state the obvious.

"I know..." he says, "but that doesn't change the fact that I want to."

"Mateo..." I groan as he travels further down my body with his kisses.

"Yes?" he asks smugly.

"I-I..."

"Hmm?" he hums against my nipple.

"I don't..."

"You don't what, baby girl?"

I make a strangled noise at the term of endearment. "I don't... I don't want you to marry Cecilia," I reveal.

He pauses his ministrations on my body, looking up at me. I look down at him, grimacing at the fact that I just said that out loud and nervous about what his response will be.

He takes a deep breath, contemplating my admission. "Then, I won't," he says on the exhale.

My eyebrows shoot together and my mouth drops in shock. "B-but what about what you were saying about doing your duty for the pack?"

He shrugs. "I'm the Alpha. Whatever I say goes. If anyone has something to say about it, they can come to me." He casually returns to nipping at the skin on my chest like we're not discussing the future welfare of his pack.

"Wait, wait, pause," I say, sitting up straight. He removes his glorious mouth from my body and moves backwards to allow me the room. "It's that simple? Just like that, you're not going to marry her?"

"Not if you don't want me to."

I shake my head in disbelief. "You can't be serious."

"Escúchame, Savannah," he commands, leaning into me so we're only inches apart. "Yes, I do have a duty to my pack, but I have a duty to myself as well. If you hadn't just told me you didn't want me to marry Cecilia, I would've, and I would've spent the rest of my days miserable in a loveless marriage. I've been the only Alpha for years, and Las Estrellas has been just fine. You've made me come to the realization that I don't have to do anything I don't want to do, and you've inspired me to take my life into my own hands like you did when you came here months ago."

Tears prickle at my eyes. Little old me inspired the big bad Alpha to put his own interests first. Color me shocked.

"So, that being said," he continues, "I won't be marrying Cecilia. It may cause a mild uproar, but I'll take care of it."

I smile at him, his words making me the happiest I've ever been. However, my smile drops when a thought pops into my head. Waving a finger around I say, "this isn't the sex talking is it?"

He pauses before breaking out into a fit of laughter. "You have absolutely no filter, do you?"

"What? It's a valid question!"

"No, Savannah, it's not the sex talking." He tucks a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "I want to further explore this connection we have, and I want to spend more time with you."

I beam at him. "I'd like that."

Wrapping his hand around the back of my neck, he pulls me in for another slow, sensual kiss, effectively getting me all hot and bothered again.

"Mmm, I'm not sure I'll survive another round right now. I'm so sore," I whine.

"Hmm, I can't imagine why..." he jokes.

"Ha-ha-ha," I deadpan.

"Let's go take care of that," he kisses me once more before rolling off of me and getting out of the bed. I shamelessly ogle his marvelously toned physique and gloriously firm ass as he makes his way to the bathroom. I hear water running, and a moment later he steps out of the bathroom, coming over to me on the bed.

"Come here," he demands, a playful smirk on his face.

I bite my lip and scoot over to edge of the bed so I'm sitting in front of him. His erect penis is impossible to overlook.

"Are you ever not hard?" I inquire in sheer astonishment.

"Only when I'm not around you." He winks.

I grin, shaking my head, but something pops into my head that makes my stomach drop.

"Oh, my Goddess we didn't use a condom. Not even once... oh, no, Mateo!" I panic from the realization. Using protection didn't once cross my mind.

"Relájate. I'm clean, and I can't get you pregnant. It's impossible," he assures me.

"Wait, seriously? How?"

He shrugs. "Estrella Alpha wolves can't get anyone from outside of the pack pregnant."

I straight face him.

"It's true! Since the creation of our pack, it's been impossible for any Alpha male to get a female that's not a member of Las Estrellas pregnant. Same goes for our Alpha females. They can't get pregnant by anyone that's not a member of Las Estrellas."

I blink rapidly, unbelieving. "How is that even possible?"

He holds up his hands in mock surrender. "I honestly don't even know how it works, I just know that it's true. Our history goes back way further than the 1800s when we began to get hunted, but our records only go back as far as when Geraldo was Alpha. There's a legend saying that, at one point, there were thousands of us living across what is now known as Mexico, and we split up into several different packs and spread out."

"So the legendary Las Estrellas have legends of their own, huh?" I tease.

He smiles. "We do, indeed."

"So, I guess whatever force is behind such a phenomenon really wants your bloodline to remain pure."

He nods his head. "I guess so."

An awkward silence follows his words, but I don't let it last long.

"Do we tell the others?" It'll be weird telling Lucía and the boys that I'm involved with their brother/cousin, but I will if it means not hiding the truth from them.

He shakes his head. "Until the heat I'm sure I'll be getting from calling off my engagement to Cecilia dies down, I say we keep this between us. Plus, sneaking around for a little while will be part of the fun."

I smile, rolling my eyes. "All right," I agree. I'll only be hiding it from them for a little while. Then, I'll tell them the truth.

I can only hope they take it well.

"Okay, I'm ready for my bath now," I say reaching my arms out so he'll pick me up.

He barks out a laugh before bending down, grabbing my torso, and heaving me up over his shoulder with ease.

"This is not how I wanted to be carried," I say through a fit of giggles.

He smacks my ass, and I yelp in surprise. "Sucks for you. I quite enjoy carrying you this way."

I playfully pound against his back as he carries me towards the bathroom, but just as he steps past the doors, a loud knock sounds at his bedroom door.

"Mateo, ¿estás ahí? ¡Es Savannah! ¡No podemos encontrarla!"

Shit.