Ever Series: My Forever Valentine

Strangely enough, it felt good when Minnie licked the wounds. Tony softly whined when she stopped. Moving to lie on his side, he faced her. “Thank you.”

Minnie gave a slight smile but said nothing as her eyes roamed over his face. “You are so handsome in my eyes, baby, and I can’t help but want to kiss you. Will you let me do that?”

It had been so many years since he’d been touched as lovingly as Minnie had touched him.

And he’d never been kissed, not even on the cheek by his mother— at least, not that he remembered. But although he was curious, he feared disappointing her. He dropped his gaze.

“Oh, no, baby, look at me,” Minnie whispered.

Slowly he raised his eyes to meet hers again.

“If it makes you uncomfortable, you’re allowed to say no. But don’t turn away. I’m your mate. I will never do anything that would harm you in any way.

“That includes asking for something, like a kiss, you aren’t ready to give me.”

He didn’t want to say no because he did want her to kiss him. He wanted to know firsthand about all those things he’d heard the men in the pack talk about during training.

He had never even dreamed he’d have a chance to feel any of it for himself.

The men liked to rub it in how ironic it was that a six-foot-four man could have such a small cock.

How, being so small, he’d never be able to please a woman even if he did ever meet his mate.

Of course, they had gone on to say that as a worthless omega, there was no way the moon goddess would bless him with a mate.

What if they were right, though? Not about the mating part because, obviously, I have one. But about not being able to please her? I am so weak, small, what if I can’t…?

Just the thought of not being able to be a real man to his soulmate broke something inside him and he felt a tear fall.

“Oh, baby, don’t cry, please! It’s just a kiss and if you don’t want one now, we can wait,” Minnie murmured as she wiped his tears away.

The feel of her fingertips on his cheek was all it took. The electricity that seemed to flow between them helped vanquish his fears.

Now all he could think about was feeling her lips on his. So, he tipped his head and moved closer to her, saying “yes” without saying a word.

He moaned softly at the touch of her lips. It turned into a whimper as feelings of desire began to flow for the first time through his body.

My first kiss, my mate’s kiss. It feels so good and so right.

Minnie moved closer to him, her breasts now brushing against his chest and causing him to whimper his pleasure.

The electricity flowing between them was enough to set his body on fire. His mouth opened of its own accord, and she slipped her tongue in.

Tangling, dominating, and making him moan.

Minnie pulled back slightly, still close enough that their panting breaths mingled.

“We need to slow down. Neither one of us is physically ready for me to mate and mark you, no matter how badly I want just that.”

Tony agreed. He wanted that, too. However, he also knew that physically it would take more than he had to mount her, even after eating well. So, he nodded his agreement with her words.

She nibbled her lip then as she gazed at his chest. Her look was filled with longing when she asked, “Would it be all right if I…touched you?”

“Yes.”

“I thought I’d never find you,” she told him softly as she ran her fingers slowly down his chest.

“When I turned sixteen, it was obvious that nobody in my pack was my mate. My father, who despises me, laughed about that.

“Then after traveling the different packs and still no mate, he told me I was so ugly and stupid that the moon goddess hadn’t given me one.”

Tony took her hand and kissed it softly as tears filled her eyes. She took a deep breath, obviously trying to calm herself as he let her hand go.

Next, she ran her hand over his shoulders, down his chest, and along his ribs. Her fingers moved slowly, as if she were counting them, before continuing.

“When I turned seventeen, we made the rounds again, still with no luck. That’s when my father promised me to Brutus.” She shuddered, her face paling.

“That’s why, when my father suddenly remembered your pack, I knew it was my last chance to escape before that happened. I never dreamed I’d actually find my mate there.”

“A disappointing one.”

“No, not a disappointment, Tony. A true mate is a special and rare thing to find. We will get far away from him. Then we’re going to heal physically and emotionally.

“We’ll love each other. We’ll be so happy together. You’ll see.” She gave him a gentle kiss as if sealing a promise to him.

Minnie then pulled him tightly into her arms.

His face was pillowed against her breasts, and he slept, breathing in her coconut scent.

***

Minnie was pulled from sleep by a pounding in her head. She groaned, bringing a hand up to her forehead. Her father was pounding at her mental walls, which meant he was close by.

Glancing down at the almost-skeletal man in her arms, she felt a burst of love for him. She knew the one thing she had to do right now was to protect him at all costs.

She may have been mistreated, but her sweet Tony had been abused. He had been beaten and starved to the point she wondered if he even had a wolf anymore.

Shaking her head, she knew it didn’t matter. He was hers and she would defend him to her last breath.

She had to find a way to tap into her Alpha strength so she could protect him, defend him if needed.

Gently shaking him, she kissed the top of his head. “Wake up, baby, we have to go now.”

His eyes fluttered open, and he gazed up at her unknowingly for a moment, his body tense. Slowly, a light began to shine in his tired eyes as recognition sank in. “Minnie.”

“Yes, baby, it’s Minnie. We need to hurry because my father is pounding on my mental walls, meaning he’s looking for me.

“The desk clerk said it’s only a block over to the bus station.” Kissing his cheek, she stood and stretched, then reached for her bag of clothing.

Tony sat up and swung his legs carefully over the edge of the bed, a look of concentration on his face. It looked as though it took everything in him to do that simple act.

Minnie looked at him sadly. “I wish we had time for you to take it easy for a few days and rest up, but we don’t. Can you walk?”

He slowly nodded, then stood with a grunt of pain, only to fall back onto the bed. He took a few ragged breaths and slowly stood up again. This time he stayed standing.

She watched him slowly and painfully make his way to the bathroom. The whip marks on his back were starting to heal from her saliva but they still looked painful.

She could also make out every bump in his backbone and every rib bone. It made her so angry to see, yet more determined than ever to make sure she got him safely away from his abusers.

By the time he was out of the bathroom, panting hard from the exertion, she was dressed.

Moving toward him, she told him to sit back down on the bed. She helped him pull on a pair of jogging pants and his shoes, because she knew he had no strength left in him.

“I have some body spray I’m going to use on us now. I know it’s girly, but I’ve found that when I’d wear it in public, my father would have trouble locating me.

“It masks my scent because it’s so strong. And a lot of girls are wearing it,” she explained as she waved a small bottle in front of him.

He gave a nod but wrinkled his nose when she sprayed them down.

Minnie laughed but quickly stood and repacked everything before helping him stand, telling him, “Don’t be afraid to lean on me. I’m stronger than I look.”

With one last look around to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything, they headed out the door.

Next stop: the bus station.

***

Minnie walked into the bus station with Tony right beside her, holding her hand. He was tense and breathing hard, not only from all the people but from the walk as well.

She knew his legs wouldn’t hold him up much longer.

After squeezing his hand encouragingly, she quickly found a seat for him away from the crowd.

Next, she bought them both tickets for a bus that was leaving in ten minutes. The destination didn’t matter. All that mattered was that it left the station soon.

Minnie found a vending machine and loaded up on snacks. She knew Tony needed meat and a lot of it, but it would have to wait until they reached their destination.

Walking back to where he sat, she handed him some food.

“Eat. It isn’t much but…we don’t have time to find a café. I wish we did, because I know you need it.

“I feel my father against my mental walls more strongly now, which means he’s getting closer. I just hope we’re on that bus before he finds us.”

The pounding in her head had gotten so strong she had to stay vigilant to keep him out.

If she allowed her walls to weaken for even a second, he’d know exactly where she was, and she couldn’t let that happen.

A look of fear crossed Tony’s face at her words, and she knew she hadn’t completely succeeded in keeping her anxiety from her face.

They knew if they were found, it was a death sentence for them both.

Tony didn’t say anything. He just continued to eat.

They both sighed in relief when the announcement came over the loudspeaker that the bus had arrived. Within five minutes, they were on the bus as it pulled out of town.