The Witch's Mate (completed)

Mating: it's Awesome

My nose woke up first and my eyes soon followed. They widened as my hand felt my missing lover who should have been in my arms. "Nora!?" I practically yelled.

"I'm right here." She said as she peaked from around the kitchen wall. I went to get up until she protested. "I'm going to surprise you. Stay there." She was obviously making me breakfast. I brushed my teeth trying to figure out why I cared so much to do so when I was about to eat anyway.

Did I expect to get more than a delicious surprise? Maybe a savory kiss? A chance to taste those lips again? Part of me wanted to feel that fire once more. The other part of me wanted to just screw everything and take Nora right there and then.

I crawled back in bed hoping she didn't see me sniff her pillow.

"Ta-da!" She presented cutely with a tray of breakfast burritos. My mouth began to water. She placed the tray on my lap and I looked up at her.

"Nora, I ... thank you." She smiled shyly and stared at the hand I put out for her. Hesitantly she grabbed it and gasped when I pulled her close and kissed her thin lips. My hand let go of hers and instead grabbed her by her back. She placed a dainty hand on one of my pecks and I realized I wanted her on top of me.

She pulled away with me wanting more. She chuckled and withdrew her gentle touch. "Thank you." She smirked. I scratched the back of my head and stared down at my burritos. There were so many stacked upon the other I wondered if I had the room in my werewolf stomach for them. Nora sat down beside me and watched me eat. I fed her a few bites with my arm around her waist, occasionally gliding my thumb up and down her torso. I burped after eating the last burrito and she laughed.

"Was that good?" She asked.

"Nory, probably the best breakfast I've ever had." She smiled brightly, because like me, she liked being praised as well. Maybe her mom was hard on her, too, like my dad. I know she doesn't like her mom nor her aunts. Maybe her and I aren't so different after all.

I pushed the tray away and pulled Nora onto my lap. She giggled as I plopped her down on her back and lifted up her shirt. I blew on her tummy and she squealed. Her stomach was soft and squishy. I buried my face in it and took in her scent. I love you, Nora.

I kissed her tummy then made a trail with my lips up her torso and to her collarbone. I felt her body tense under my hold. Her breathing became faster as I went around her chin and nibbled on her ear. I pushed down her shirt on her shoulder so that I could mark her.

My fangs slid out from their hiding spot ready to claim what was their's until Nora scrambled out from under me and fell off the bed. She quickly got to her feet and yanked her sleeve back up.

"You can't mark me, Red." She said ghastly.

"Why not?" A tear ran down her round cheek. "Nora, why?" I got to my knees then slipped off the bed. She went to walk farther away from me but I gripped her arms and held her close in front of me. "What's wrong?" She wiped at a tear but another one came down in its place.

"Hu—humans can't be marked. A werewolf's bite kills us, Red. Don't you know that?" I looked at her bewildered. But ... I have to mark her if she is to be my mate.

"But ... how else am I supposed to claim you? Accept you?" She wiped at some more tears until I cupped her face and rubbed those tears away with my own large thumbs. Her head was so tiny in my monstrous hands.

"Actually, you don't have to bite anyone, Red. That's just something made up. You don't have to bite me." I couldn't believe what she was telling me. There she went again: debunking truth taught to me all my life. I don't have to bite anyone? What kind of bull crap was that!?

"I—I don't understand." Nora pressed her hands on my chest and leaned in closer.

"That's made up, Red. It's a way for a male to claim a woman and show others that she is his. But you don't actually have to do that. If a werewolf's bite kills a human, and they get soul-mated with a human, then where is the sense in that? Ask the Moon Goddess yourself. I am right. I know I am." I shook my head. Biting and claiming is a werewolf thing ... right? "Red," My human mate touched my hard cheek. "I love you."

I froze. Not because it was coming from her mouth. My mate's mouth. I knew she loved me. Heck, I love her! But I froze because no one in my entire life ever said that to me. Not my father, not even my mother.

I suddenly didn't want the person before me who had spouted those words to take them back. And the only way to make sure she didn't take them back, was to hug her and hold her close and mentally make her promise to keep saying those three words to me everyday.

Nora seemed surprised by my action of hugging her instead of pushing her away which she probably thought I was going to do.

"No one," I began, placing my chin on top of her head, "has ever said those words to me, ever."

"I love you," felt a whole lot better than marking. I always felt as though marking was a strange act of love anyway. Who would ever want to inflict pain on their soul mate purposefully? Actually, I guess women go through a lot when giving birth.

But still.

"I ... love you ... Nora." I removed my head from on top of hers and lifted her chin. I kissed her lips slow and gently. Putting more passion in kissing her more than I had ever done before.

I walked backwards and hit the bedside. I sat down without losing contact with my mate's lips. I scooted up to the pillows as Nora moved on top of me. My hands pushed her shirt up and I squeezed her flesh. She laid flat on me and my heart melted at how light she was. She's so tiny. I thought. I want more of her. I gripped her small frame to me and heard a soft moan escape her mouth. I rolled us over and was careful not to squish her with my over two-hundred pound body as I rested on my elbows. Her small hands crept into my shirt and scanned my muscular build. Another moan escaped her precious mouth and I smirked. I skidded my hand down one of her braids and pulled the hairband out at the end. I then went on to the next braid and soon had my strong fingers running through her short, dark hair. Whether it was black or brown I didn't care. She gripped my back as I gripped one of her legs.

I wanted to be closer to her, skin on skin.

*****

Nora laid beside me breathless. I laid on my back with my hands behind my head and a smirk on my face.

I turned to look at her. "How was that?" I breathed. She turned to me, still trying to catch her breath. Then she smiled and inched closer to me. Her bare body cuddled into mine.

"It was amazing." She said. "Better than I could have ever imagined."

"Yeah, same."

"That was your first time, too?" I nodded at her question.

"I've been saving myself for my mate or at least marriage." I admitted. She smiled.

"I'm glad. Because we've been able to share firsts with each other." I turned and gave her a kind smile. I ran a thumb down her soft cheek then kissed her forehead.

"Well then, lets be each other's seconds, too." She giggled and my kind smile turned into something devilish. I rolled on top of her ready to enjoy the act of love making with my soul mate, once more.