Mated To The Cold Hearted Alpha
Chapter 30

Ever had told me she owned a tattoo parlor, but for some reason, I never anticipated she would have tattoos, primarily because pure silver extract had to be added to the ink. Otherwise, our bodies would reject the ink and heal around it. But using silver made the normal pain of getting a tattoo about a hundred times worse.

And she didn’t just have one cute little heart or flower on her belly. No, she had a stunning Phoenix nestled between her breasts, its wings fanning out over her pert mounds, but designed so that the flesh around her nipples was left untouched- looking as though they were peeking out alluringly from behind the bird. And if that were not enough visual titillation, the tail of the bird curled around the entire left side of her torso and flared out into beautiful swirls and tail feathers covering her belly. Like her nipples, the skin around her belly button was left untouched revealing an enticing belly button piercing.

The design continued low on her stomach, flowing beneath the waistband of the pants that rested low on her h**s. I could only get one word out to communicate what I wanted…what I desperately needed, “More.”

She complied, her hands trembling as she undid the button and zipper of her pants, and slid them down her h**s with a little wiggle, leaving her standing in only a lacy white thong. Her teeth had a hold of her bottom l*p, and she flushed pink with embarrassment.

F**k me.

She couldn’t have been sexier if she tried.

My d**k was raging hard, painful and swollen.

Without even needing encouragement from me, she slipped off the last remaining item of clothing, stepping out the panties where they dropped to the floor at her feet. She stood there for my visual inspection, as both my Wolf and I took our time to memorize every curve and valley of her body thoroughly, and the stunning artwork inked into her skin.

I finally found the use of my vocabulary again and brought my eyes back to hers. “The Phoenix is beautiful.”

Her lips twisted up just a little, and her eyes shone with some emotion. I was stunned to realize it was pride that glimmered in her irises. I breathed, “Did you draw that?”

She nodded. “I also tattooed it…well, as much as I could reach.”

I studied the design again with an admiring eye. She was incredibly talented. I murmured the truth, “It’s flawless.”

This time, her mouth curled into a genuine smile.

“Turn around,” I murmured, curious to see what complex design she’d chosen for her back. After seeing her front, there had to be something equally stunning on her back.

I just had no idea how shocking and mind-blowing until she turned around.

My mouth dropped open.

I couldn’t breathe.

My Wolf lurched into my eyes, his entire body trembling.

She had an incredible Wolf tattooed on her back as though he were climbing up from her waist, his head at her shoulder, preparing to climb over to her front, giving the illusion of his body covering hers. It streaked up her back, filling most of her flesh on her right side. It was sleek and beautiful.

But it wasn’t just any Wolf. It was him. It was my Wolf!

My Wolf had very unusual markings, completely black with two white front paws and a white tipped tail. It wasn’t a common combination of markings for any Wolf.

I must have gasped or something because she glanced over her shoulder at me.

“It’s…it’s…” I stuttered, unsure what to say.

She looked at me in confusion, lips turning down into a frown. “You don’t like it?”

I choked on my saliva. “No! That’s not it! We like it very much. How? Where did you come up with the design?”

Her lips curled back into a smile, eyes filling with fondness at the memory playing in her mind. “My mom gave me a stuffed animal of a Wolf when I was four. It was almost as big as me. I slept with it every night, until…” Her words trailed off, her mind back to the fire that must have destroyed the stuffed animal.

I was having a hard time breathing again, both at her pain and the shocking revelation that she not only had a Wolf tattoo identical to my Wolf but also grew up with a stuffed animal that looked like him as well.

“He kept me safe. Whenever I was scared of the dark or woke up with a bad dream,” she whispered.

My throat felt like there was a boulder in it. I hated that her stuffed wolf was now lost to her and rasped, “I’m sorry.”

We both just stared at each other, the air thick and quivering around us. After a long moment, I dragged my eyes away from her face to relook at the design on her back again, letting my eyes take in the details I’d missed when she first showed me. My gaze drifted slowly down to her butt.

Regret tinged the edge of my consciousness when I saw her still bright pink cheeks, but what was I supposed to do? I’d had no choice. She’d openly challenged me, which was bad enough, but worse she’d done it in the middle of a tradition my wolves held dear. I would have whipped any other wolf that behaved that way. Still, as I looked at her pink skin, I couldn’t help wanting to do something to soothe her. I murmured, “Does it still hurt?”

She flushed in embarrassment. “A little.”

Which, for her, probably meant, a lot. I offered softly, “I have something that will take away the sting and soothe your skin.”

She tilted her head in surprise. But she hadn’t immediately told me to go to hell.

So, progress.

I moved slowly to the nightstand by the bed and pulled open a drawer, taking out a small container. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I unscrewed the lid and held it out to her. She peered at the thick crème inside curiously. Her little nose twitched, tasting the scent of the balm from the air.

“What’s in it?”

“It’s a combination of plant extracts. It will cool the sting and feel good to your skin.”

She contemplated for a long moment. I could tell she wanted it, but she resisted. I suspected I knew why. Applying it to oneself was not particularly easy to do. She confirmed my suspicion when she looked at the jar and then her eyes glanced over her shoulder as if trying to gauge what she’d have to do to reach her butt properly with it. Her gaze returned to the jar again, a small frown on her face when she was no closer to an answer.

“I could apply it if you like.”

Her eyes flashed to mine, body instantly stiff like a doe in the line of fire. I dropped my tone even softer, soothing, “I’ll apply it just to the affected areas. I won’t touch you anywhere else. I kept my part of the agreement, haven’t I? I’m a man of my word.”