Chapter 13

Nikandr’s house was spacious, though not as grand as the one she and Mileva once shared. He guided her through the back entrance, which led directly into the kitchen.

Despite Shemika’s clear intentions, Nikandr was keen on maintaining discretion around the rest of the pack. They entered quietly, through the back, and headed straight upstairs. She felt like a secret, a hidden affair.

She didn’t get a good look at his house. They passed through the kitchen, by an entrance to the living room, down a hallway, around a railing, and up the stairs.

Nikandr started showing her around his home from the upstairs. He had several bedrooms, but they ended up in the master bedroom at the end of the hall. He opened the door and ushered Shemika inside.

Suddenly, she felt a wave of nervousness. She couldn’t understand why. She’d been with many men before. But something about being with Nikandr felt different. Maybe it wasn’t about being ready.

“I’ll be right back, you can just get comfortable,” he said, before disappearing into the hallway and leaving her alone in his bedroom.

Shemika sank onto his bed. It was soft. She found herself wondering about Caturix’s bed. Was his comforter satin, silk, or cotton? How many pillows did he have?

Nikandr’s bed was adorned with a white comforter and pillows. The bed frame was a light wood tone. Everything was bright and cheerful, unlike how Shemika was feeling. Caturix’s room, from what she remembered, was dark, filled with reds and blacks.

“Hey,” Nikandr said, reentering the room.

She jumped, startled.

“I was just checking my locks and messages. I don’t want anyone to come knocking as we’re—” He paused, perhaps giving her a chance to change her mind. Such a considerate man. There were no men like that in Vale. When she didn’t interrupt, he continued, “Would you prefer I use a condom?”

~Ugh.~ “No, I mean, we’re not destined or anything. So there’s pretty much no way…” She let her words trail off.

He nodded but stood awkwardly by the door. After a moment, he cautiously moved toward her.

She scooted over as he approached. She hadn’t meant to.

He took it as an invitation and sat beside her. The mattress dipped under his weight, nearly causing Shemika to tumble into his lap. His scent wafted over her, but it didn’t stir her the way the smell of rosemary and mint did. The rosemary and mint of a certain someone.

Nikandr’s hand moved to her thigh, gently caressing her. It traveled around her back and up to the nape of her neck. His fingers combed through her golden curls. He was so tender and cautious. It was sweet, but it was…missing something.

His hands explored her body, but Shemika couldn’t focus on what she was feeling. He brushed against the claw marks left by Caturix, causing Shemika to gasp. From then on, he avoided the bruises and markings, but that wasn’t what she wanted. The sharp stings of pain excited her, far more than his gentle touches.

He touched, caressed, licked, and sucked, but she wanted…no, she needed…more. Even as he entered her, his slow, sensual thrusts left her unsatisfied. Only when he brushed against the bruising in her canal, left by Caturix, did she arch her back and moan.

She didn’t want to admit her longing to return to Caturix. She didn’t need a lover who took six weeks to heat up each sexual encounter. In fact, she didn’t want a steady lover. Or, at least she thought she didn’t.

Nikandr tried his best to bring Shemika to climax, but it never happened. She thought back to the intense pleasure she’d experienced with Caturix and how effortless it had seemed. Nikandr’s lovemaking took nearly forty-five minutes, each minute ticking by with Shemika lost in her thoughts. Caturix’s, just a few short minutes. Not even ten, but worth every second in Shemika’s mind.

Nikandr finished, groaning softly beside her ear. It reminded her of Caturix’s roar. How loud he’d been when he’d climaxed inside her. Nikandr rolled off of her and onto his back. “You feel so…”

~Yuck.~ Shemika cringed.

Nikandr stretched his arms up and behind his head. He looked over at her, content. “I think you’re the prettiest woman I’ve ever met,” he said, sighing.

~Sure, buddy.~ Shemika readjusted her clothing, as he hadn’t bothered to remove it all. She wanted to leave Nikandr’s before he suggested they become mates. It always happened, after she spent time with a man.

Their time together had the opposite effect than she’d hoped for. Instead of moving on from her encounter with Caturix, replacing his memory with Nikandr’s or any other man’s, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Even after having sex with Nikandr, her body reacted to thoughts of Caturix.

She thought about his cock sliding in and out of her, reaching her most sensitive spots. It made her womanhood twitch and pulse, yearning for the thought of his shaft.

Shemika stood up carefully. “Where’s your restroom?” She needed to freshen up a bit before leaving.

He pointed toward a door on the side.

Shemika went in and cleaned herself up as best as she could. His semen spilled out of her, but she felt different looking at it. Different than she had after her time with Caturix.

After freshening up, she exited the bathroom and tried to slip past Nikandr, who was now sitting at the foot of the bed. “Shemika,” he began.

~Oh, god.~ She didn’t want to have this conversation with him. Whether it led to mating or something else. “Okay, gotta go. I’ll see you around,” she said, forcing a smile.

He flinched at her words. “Shemika,” he said, his voice filled with pain.

She quickly moved past him and practically ran out the back of his house. She smelled strongly of Nikandr and regretted the entire encounter. She wanted to get back to her place and wash herself thoroughly.