The Shadow Howlers

Hermes looked in disbelief at the woman with long reddish blonde hair who had just said he was her mate. Who was she, and where did she come from? Nyx looked from Hermes to the woman with envy. She wanted to be with someone, too.

"Daphne? What's going on?" Alani asked, looking at the woman in question. She had also been rescued from the Last Moon pack and was training to be a warrior. They brought her to the palace because she was smart and strong, much like Alani.

"I'm sorry for leaving my post. I was at the front gate when I picked up his scent. I couldn't stop myself; I had to find out where it was coming from. He's my mate." Daphne replied, looking at the gorgeous man in front of her. She had been a rogue when someone from the Last Moon pack kidnapped her and forced her into the underground cave. She had never cared about finding her mate, but looking at Hermes, she thought maybe she should have been looking all along. He walked toward her with a smile.

"You called me mate. I had always hoped to be someone's mate but never thought it would happen. As the messenger for the gods, I'm one of the few who can go between all realms, taking souls to their final destinations. Much of my work is done in the underworld because those souls are often lost." Hermes explained. Daphne looked him over from head to toe.

"Wait just a minute. You're from the underworld? That's just great. I got rescued from an underground cave just to be taken to live out my life in hell. Isn't that just the cherry on top of a shit-covered cake?" Daphne sat on the palace steps and put her head in her hands. Everyone except Hemes went inside. He sat next to her and studied her gorgeous face.

"You don't have to live in hell. I don't have to live in hell, either. I can live anywhere. Do you want me as a mate? I'm not a werewolf, and I'm many centuries old. I'm not going to lie; I'm not a virgin. I've been with many women over the years. I know that's important to most shifters." Hermes looked out over the palace grounds. Daphne turned to him and smiled slightly.

"I'm twenty-six, and I've been a rogue my entire life. I'm not a virgin, either. I never thought I would find my mate, so I didn't care about keeping myself pure." Hermes felt a twinge of jealousy thinking about her with other men, even though that wasn't fair after all the women he'd been with.

"You never said if you want me as a mate." He said, trying not to think about taking her to his room and making her forget about every other man she'd ever been with. Daphne smirked at the jealousy she saw on his face. She wasn't a sweet, innocent woman like some. Those at Last Moon tried to rape her, but she had bit one of their ears off, so they left her alone after that. She was a fighter and didn't need a man who thought she needed someone to take care of her.

"That depends. What's your take on strong, independent women? I'm not looking for a mate who's going to tell me what I can and can't do. If that's you, then just go ahead and reject me now, and we'll go our separate ways. I don't care if you're used to rubbing elbows with gods, and I'm used to sleeping in the forest. If we're mates, we're partners. Take it or leave it." She said, with fire flashing in her green eyes. Hermes smiled and took her hand. The sparks instantly filled their bodies.

"I think I love you." He said. Daphne smiled and moved closer.

"Well then, I'll give you a chance to prove yourself. How do gods mark their mates? Do you stick your giant sword inside me until I scream?" She whispered. Hermes shifted uncomfortably on the steps. He knew exactly what she was talking about, and that was exactly what he wanted to do.

"I don't know if a little wolf like you can handle it." When he saw her face, he instantly regretted his words.

"Little wolf? Listen here, messenger to the gods." Before she could finish, Hermes put his mouth on hers and kissed her words away. Daphne tried to pull away so she could finish putting him in his place, but he bit her lip and slid his tongue into her mouth. When he did that, she moaned and started kissing him back. She put her hands in his hair and crawled onto his lap. Hermes groaned when she rubbed against him, making him even harder. When they pulled apart, Daphne was breathing hard.

"Will you accept me as your mate?" Hermes asked, sliding his hands under her shirt and onto her smooth back. He loved her fiery attitude and hoped it continued in the bedroom.

"I don't know. Let's go inside and see everything you have to offer, and then I'll give you my answer." Daphne replied. She had no intention of rejecting him, but she liked making him squirm. What better way to make him beg?

"Come on, and I'll show you." Hermes stood and held onto Daphne, pushing against her as he whispered. "I think you can feel that I have a lot to offer."

Daphne grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. One of the palace staff showed the couple to Hermes' room. Once the door was shut, Daphne took off her clothes and turned to him.

"I'm not into sweet talking and slow love-making. I want you to ram that thing inside of me so fast and hard that you make me lose all my senses. I want to feel you stretching me to fit you and pounding into me so hard I feel like I'm going to split in two. If you're lucky and you do it right, I may let you fuck my mouth." Hermes stared at her in shock. She wasn't like any other woman he had ever been with. The more she talked, the harder he became, but she scared him a little. He had always felt confident with sex, but now he was wondering if he would be enough to satisfy her.

Daphne smirked as Hermes began removing his clothes. She knew she was a lot for some men to take, but she wouldn't apologize for it. She was who she was and wasn't changing for anyone. She did think it was funny as hell how shy Hermes was acting all of a sudden. Daphne's eyes widened when he took off his last piece of clothing. She'd been with men who were huge, but none of them compared to what was sticking out in front of Hermes. He saw her reaction, and some of his confidence returned.

"Maybe you should get a closer look." He said as she continued to stare at his penis. Daphne looked up at him as she dropped to her knees. Hermes had been joking with her. When she wrapped her lips around the head and began sucking, every other thought went out of his head. She kept pulling him into her mouth until he touched the back of her throat. Hermes thought his legs were going to give out when she suddenly stood up with a smile.

"You were right; I needed a closer look," Daphne said. Hermes couldn't take it anymore. He lifted her so she would wrap her legs around him.

"Enough playing." He said as he put her back against the wall and slammed into her. Daphne held onto him tightly as he thrust into her repeatedly. Her eyes rolled back in her head; it was even better than she had expected. Without thinking, her canines extended, and she bit into his neck. Hermes' legs buckled from the intense sparks. When she pulled her head back, he chuckled.

"I guess that means you accept me as your mate," He said, pausing his thrusts to look into her eyes. Daphne smiled.

"What do you need to do to mark me? Do people from your realm mark their mates?" She asked.

"We can if we're someone's mate." Hermes held her tight as he surrounded them with his magic. Daphne gasped and closed her eyes when she felt his magic enter her body as though he was touching every inch of her from the inside out. When the magic faded away, she opened her eyes.

"I love you," Hermes said, kissing her as he began moving again.

"I love you too. Now fuck me hard so we can meet with the others and figure out how we're going to defeat those evil sisters." Hermes smiled as he did what she said.