Savage Desire
Chapter 37

Gloria turned to look at Jeremy and Ryan when she heard the guestroom door open. She couldn't help the smile that brightened her face as she watched Jeremy kiss Ryan languidly. His hands, which lay loosely against Ryan's hips tightened and tugged him closer as the kiss deepened. One of Ryan's arms moved up to coil around Jeremy's neck as the other found its way under Jeremy's t-shirt, his fingertips brushing suggestively over Jeremy's stomach. After a lengthy kiss, they broke of and just locked gaze with each other. Anyone who saw them at that particular moment, would immediately know just how crazy they were about each other. Joy spread through Gloria as she watched her son and his mate. They had both been through so much and deserved some respite. With a chuckle, she turned to go back to the kitchen. "Sit and eat breakfast, boys." She said over her shoulder, waving them into the dining hall.

Jeremy grinned when his eyes landed on the spread on the long dining table. "That's what I'm talking about." He

shouted happily, completely forgetting that his plan had been to say a quick good morning to his mother and head to his suite with his mate. "I see pancakes." He gushed, going to meet Gloria who was coming out of the kitchen with a bottle of maple syrup and to fee cream in each hand. "That's some spread Ma." Jeremy chuckled, leaning down to kiss his mother on both cheeks. "And I love the smell of those pancakes."

"Had none since you came back huh?" Gloria laughed, allowing Jeremy to take the maple syrup and toee cream which were meant to serve as toppings for the pancakes, from her.

"Nope." Jeremy placed the bottles on the dining table and watched as his mother hugged a blushing Ryan. His mate was obviously embarrassed because he knew that his mother had heard his cries of passion.

"Better?" Gloria asked softly and chuckled when Ryan could only nod. "Come, you need some food after...whatever that was." She teased, steering Ryan towards the dining area.

"Aw come on..." Ryan groaned, turning even redder.

"I told you to blink us out of here, mate." Jeremy drawled, squeezing some to Jee cream onto some pancakes. "You chose to come say good morning to her."

"And look at what we would have missed." Ryan gestured towards the scrumptious assorted goodies on the dining table.

"Jeremy Stanton, you did what?" Gloria growled with a mock frown.

"Sorry mum." Jeremy grinned. "But I knew he would be embarrassed if he saw you this morning. I was only trying

to save him the tomato look." He laughed when Ryan scowled at him. "You do look like a..."

"Shut up, Jeremy." Ryan growled low in his throat as he pulled out a chair. But Jeremy drew him into his lap before he could even complete the act of pulling out that chair. "There are lots of chairs here, Jer." Ryan murmured, attempting to get of Jeremy's lap but he wouldn't allow him.

"I know." Jeremy murmured huskily, looking at Ryan from beneath his lashes. "But I want you right here in my lap." His eyes were filled with so much heat.

"Don't look at me like that." Ryan groaned, wrapping his arms around Jeremy's neck and burying his face against his neck. "You don't know what you do to me when you look at me like that." His words were mued against Jeremy.

"What do I do to you?" Jeremy couldn't hide the amusement in his voice. But when he felt Ryan licking against his mark, all his amusement disappeared. "Fuuuck!" He gasped as a bolt of excitement shot through him, causing his breath to explode from his lungs. Jeremy shot to his feet, his arm tightening around Ryan's waist. "F**k." He breathed, feeling himself go hard so fast he felt dizzy.

'That's what you do to me.' Ryan smirked on their mind-link, looking up at his clearly aroused mate. "I'll take this seat next to you..."

"Oh no, you don't." Jeremy growled, not missing his mother's amused look. 'Now you really have to stay in my lap.' He switched to their mind-link. 'Otherwise, mum will see my hard-on. He added.

'Bullshit. Ryan chuckled. 'How can she see your lap from across this table?'

'Please. Jeremy groaned, drawing Ryan back into his lap.

'You know my sitting here will only make it worse don't you?' Ryan murmured, wriggling his arse to get more comfortable.

"Oh fuck." Jeremy gasped, thrusting up against Ryan. 'I want you so f*****g bad right now.' He whispered roughly on their mind-link, wishing they were back in their suite.

"You know you've really surprised me, son." Gloria said, sipping her orange juice.

"Why?" Jeremy rasped, planting a kiss along Ryan's neck. For the first time, he wished he had powers like a warlock. He would have wished away his shorts and Ryan's jeans and boxer briefs, to enable his weeping c**k sink into his mate's heavenly arse with no barriers.

"You've managed to be intimate with Ryan without marking him." Gloria said innocently with an impressed look. "I could have sworn you wouldn't be able to hold your beast back." Gloria didn't notice that both Ryan and Jeremy had gone still at her works. She went right on talking. "You two will still have to complete part of the mating ceremony though. The heads and elders would have to take in Ryan's scent like how it's done for all mates of the alphas of a pack." She put down her now empty glass and reached for the teapot. "It doesn't have to be in the presence of the entire pack." She put down the teapot and reached for the sugar jar. "Since you've been able to hold on with marking him, you might as well wait and do that during the ceremony. That will make it even more memorable don't you think? But that beast of yours has certainly surprised me though." She chuckled, reaching for the cream. "Am I talking to myself?" Gloria finally looked up, wondering why the two sitting with her at the table had gone so quiet. And that was when it finally dawned on the elder that something was very wrong. For one, neither her son nor his mate would meet her eye. The elder didn't miss their unease. She gently placed the cream back on the table.

"Care to tell me what's going on?" Gloria placed her elbows on the table, entwined her fingers and rested her chin on her linked fingers. She looked at both bowed heads intently.

Finally Ryan cleared his throat. "We were working through something." His voice was quiet.

"Working through what?"

"I wanted to give Jer some time to..." Ryan began but Jeremy stepped in.

"It's okay baby." He murmured. "You don't have to cover for me. I was having a hard time accepting the fact that Ryan kissed someone else....someone kissed him...ugh..."

"He was under a spell." Gloria glared at her son.

"I know." Jeremy whispered. "I just..."

"You just what?" Gloria growled. Then her eyes suddenly widened when she finally connected the dots. "You must be kidding me." She breathed. No wonder Ryan had been such a mess. Having to go that long without his mate, and being denied s*x when said mate finally returned... That could drive any hot-blooded werewolf insane. Her son must have been really pissed to have gone that long without making love to his mate. She was right after all. Nothing would have stopped that alpha wolf from marking his mate now that it had already tasted him. "Oh my god, you're such an idiot."

"Mum please..." Ryan groaned.

"No, no I have to get this of my chest, Ryan." Gloria looked furious. "Where do you get of judging people?" She gave her son an icy glare. "You actually thought it was okay to punish your mate for kissing someone when he was under a spell? You arrogant, stupi..." "Gloria enough!" Ryan couldn't suppress his growl of anger. He didn't even notice he'd addressed Gloria by her given name. His amber eyes were a clear indication that his wolf was at the surface. "You can't talk to him like that." He looked pissed. "Ryan..." Jeremy groaned.

"I have every right to tell any son of mine what I think of them when they f**k up." Gloria snapped.

"Well, he's my mate." Ryan said coolly, trying to calm himself. "And I won't have anyone calling him stupid. Like I said, we were working through something. We're okay now. Can we just forget about it and eat?"

Gloria still glared at her son. "Sure, if you say so." She finally murmured and picked up a teaspoon to stir her tea. "Forget about what I suggested earlier. You don't have to hold on and mark him during the ceremony." Gloria took a sip of her tea. "I don't think you can anyway." Now that the two had sorted out their diferences, they were bound to have sex, Gloria knew. And there was no way her son could have sex with his mate and not mark him. "And feel free to do it anytime you want because the council has already taken care of it. No one will be afected like we all were the other time." She muttered.

That drew a chuckle out of Jeremy despite himself. "From what I hear, some people no longer need Ryan and I going at it, to have their own fun..."

"Watch your mouth, son." Gloria didn't crack a smile. "The fact that your mate put me in my place doesn't mean I've forgiven you for pulling that silly stunt."

"Oh my god, mum, I'm sorry." Ryan groaned, quickly leaving Jeremy's lap to go and give Gloria a hug. "I'm so sorry." He crooned into Gloria's hair as he held her tight. "He feels bad enough for acting like a d**k. I don't want..."

"I can hear you, you know..." Jeremy drawled, digging into the goodies as if it was his last meal.

"Aw shut up will you?" Ryan snapped at his mate. "You did tell me that shedding of the pain is another stress on its own, remember?"

"I do." Gloria nodded.

"So basically, the guy is f****d up."

"Jesus, Ryan..." Jeremy groaned around a mouthful of muins. Gloria had to make an effort to suppress the urge to laugh.

"We therefore have to ignore the silly things he's bound to do." Ryan finished as if Jeremy hadn't spoken.

"How long do you think we should tolerate his shitty attitude?" Gloria looked so serious, it might have looked, to anyone who walked in, as though the pair were discussing something really important.

"Hmmmm..." Ryan looked as if he was lost in thought. "What the hell, let's give him a long rope."

"Will you two stop discussing me as if I'm not here?" Jeremy growled but again, he was ignored.

"You sure that's advisable?" Gloria frowned. It was almost as if there was no one in the room besides her and Ryan.

"If it becomes too bad, I can just turn him into a toad or something." Ryan said, looking all serious.

Gloria couldn't hold it any longer. She erupted into laughter. Ryan joined in even as Jeremy glared at the two people he loved so much. Joel and Phillip, whose grin stretched from ear to ear, entered the house and headed directly for the dining area, surprising a still laughing Gloria. "Told ya." Jeremy grinned at a happy Phillip.

"What are you two doing here?" Gloria asked, wiping at the tears of mirth on her face even as Joel leaned down to plant a kiss on her mouth.

"I called them to come eat breakfast since you two were too engrossed in your plans to add me to the amphibian species to want to eat." He gestured to his friend and mentor to take seats around the dining table.

"Not possible." Ryan looked confused. "We just started the 'planning!" He gave the word air quotes. "How could they have gotten here so fast?"

"I called them immediately I saw the spread." Jeremy confessed. "They'd been out running so I told them to come straight here from the woods. Where's Paige? I thought all three of you went for that ran." Jeremy addressed Phillip.

"She went home, Jer." Phillip sighed, grabbing a strip of bacon. "Give her time, buddy." He said, noting the crestfallen look on Jeremy's face. "You okay Prof?"

"Never better, Phillip." Ryan grinned as he took a seat beside Gloria, to the displeasure of Jeremy.

"So I've heard what you're planning to do, son." Joel addressed Jeremy as he poured a lot of cream into his

copee. "And I must admit I've still not been able to say anything about it since Phillip told me."

"What's he planning on doing?" Gloria asked whilst Ryan looked at his mate with raised brows.

"Oh, I see you haven't told your mother." The elderly man chuckled. "Not even your mate?" He added, taking in Ryan's curious look. "Damn boy, the mate must always know. Never make that mistake again." He admonished.

"It wasn't intentional Uncle Jo." Jeremy said quickly with an apologetic look in Ryan's direction. "When I came back from my meeting yesterday, he wasn't around. And like I do all the time, I told Lip and Stan what..."

"You have a mate now, son." Joel cut him of. "You should start doing things a bit differently. You need to communicate more with your mate, Jeremy. If he's not within mind-linking range, you can always send him a quick text message, giving him a gist of whatever is going on. This, right here," Joel threw his arm in an arc indicating Ryan's confusion, "shouldn't happen. Got it?"

"Got it Sir." Jeremy nodded respectfully.

"Good." Joel reached for some pancakes. "Now tell your story."

Jeremy recounted what had taken place at the meeting with the alphas the day before, and his plan to give the alphas his final decision the next day.

"So today I plan on meeting all of you the elders first, then the heads." Jeremy informed them. "And I also plan to tell all the heads what really happened with...everything." He gave a deep sigh. "I need to tell them the truth. It will serve as a deterrent to any of them who wants to act before they think. And they can in turn use that to advise their

various teams to always try to do the right thing. Sometimes it helps to know that there are consequences to our actions. And no one is above the law."

"Aw son..." Gloria sounded as if she wanted to cry. She stood and went to hug Jeremy. "I'm so proud of you."

"So am I." Joel said in a hoarse voice.

Gloria drew Phillip to his feet, hugged him first, and then went down on a knee before him in respect. "Alpha." She acknowledged in a voice filed with so much joy and pride.

"Aw please stand, Mama G." Phillip looked flushed and very disapproving. "You're never to bow to me ever again." He growled, pulling Gloria up. "I'd rather you continue being who you've always been with me. Tell me of in your typical fashion when you think I'm wrong and need to be told o."

"Oh don't think I won't young man." Gloria laughed. "You boys will always be my babies. And I'll crack the whip whenever I have to. Being my alpha ain't gonna change that." She drawled making everyone laugh.

"And that's what my mate needs to learn." Jeremy said quietly, looking at Ryan.

"I'm sorry." Ryan groan. "It's just that I hated hearing you..."

"....being told of like a little boy." Jeremy went to draw him into his arms for a hug that made Ryan shiver with part contentment, part excitement. "It's what mothers do." He murmured against his hair. "And I will never stop honey." Gloria chuckled, rubbing Ryan on the back.

"Just try and control yourself whenever she does that to me, okay?" Jeremy murmured, pressing a kiss against Ryan's forehead.

Ryan nodded. "Congratulations. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks but I only accepted it because I know that with you by my side, I can do a good job." Jeremy murmured, kissing Ryan's sugar-sweetened lips. "Hmm...syrup." He murmured, deepening the kiss.

"Jer..." Ryan breathed when his mouth was released. "Behave." He added, making Jeremy laugh softly. "Phillip?" Ryan reluctantly stepped out of his mate's embrace and went to the new alpha of Stanwood Pack. "Congratulations." He hugged a grinning Phillip. "Can't wait to see you claim your sweet mate in the full glare of everyone." He murmured teasingly, drawing laughter from the others.

"Oh god, don't remind me." Phillip groaned, sitting back down to eat his sausages.

"Mum, now that Jeremy is no longer the alpha of Stanwood Pack, do we still have to go through that ceremony with the heads and elders?" Ryan asked Gloria.

"No, you don't." She said, and then laughed when Ryan let out a huge sigh of relief.

"But you have to go with me to the meeting with the alphas tomorrow, baby." Jeremy said. "I have to officially introduce my mate to them. I might as well do that tomorrow."

"Okay." Ryan nodded.

"Then from there, we're taking a vacation." Jeremy continued. "How does the Quain Islands sound?"

"Are you serious?" Ryan breathed, looking at Jeremy with wide eyes. And at his mate's amused nod, Ryan actually gave a whoop of delight. "Oh my god, that's...that's..." He shook his head in wonderment. "I don't even know what to say." "I've never loved a reaction more." Jeremy chuckled, making everyone laugh. "Knowing that just the mention of Quain Islands gets you this way is enough for me." His eyes glistened with amusement.

The Quain Islands had not only been named the most unique Island for years, it had also earned itself the nickname, Fully Loaded, for being the only Island that had everything...both natural and unnatural. It was hands down the most alluring Island. Over the years, it had been a getaway for not only celebrities, but also for wealthy and prominent people all over the world. What Ryan didn't know was that the Quain Islands was owned by Jeremy. It was originally owned by Sylvester and Gloria Stanton, Jeremy's parents. Guests of the Island were usually made to understand, before they even embarked on the trip, that they could be given a day's notice to leave. So getting rid of the guests was no problem at all. The plan of the alpha of alphas was to spend about two weeks on the Island, alone with his mate. The only other people who would be allowed on the Island whilst he stayed there with his mate were just the sta], who were all werewolves. Jeremy just wanted to love, pamper and spoil Ryan like neither of them had ever experienced before.

"We have to fly then Jer." Phillip pointed out. "If you're going to continue to the Island from the meeting grounds, then you can't go to the meeting on your bike."

"You will fly to the meeting." Jeremy said. "I'll ride with Ryan. After the meeting you can come home with the bike

so that I use the jet."

"Perfect?" Phillip grinned at a wide eyed Ryan. "Ready for the most exciting experience you'll ever have on the road?"

All Ryan could do was stare at his mate.

"Oh, you're not going to forget that ride anytime soon my love." Jeremy drawled, giving Ryan a smoldering look which caused his breath to hitch in his throat. "In fact, you're never going to forget it." A promise.

Ryan watched as Jeremy slapped a raised palm against Phillip's. Both kept their eyes on him, which made Ryan flush. It was obvious that the new alpha of Stanwood Pack had an idea what was in store for him. Ryan knew how exhilarating an experience it was to ride on Jeremy's expensive, six-cylinder engine, Harley Davidson Cosmic Starship. He'd had the privilege of riding on it with Jeremy once. Although it had been a short ride, Ryan hadn't forgotten how good an experience it had been. The feel of that powerful engine beneath his arse and the feel of Jeremy against him had gotten him so hard he'd feared his dicks might explode. So he could imagine how exciting a longer ride would be.

What caused Ryan's breath to quicken with arousal, however, was the look in his mate's eyes. Somehow that look in Jeremy's eyes...that fiery, predatory, sensual but at the same time, naughty look, told Ryan that Jeremy had a hidden agenda that even Phillip didn't know about.

'What the fuck do you have up your sleeve?' Ryan asked Jeremy on their mind-link.

Jeremy slowly turned his head to look at one bare shoulder, then the other, and then looked up at his mate with eyes filled with amusement.

'Helloooo...sleeveless. He drawled and then promptly allowed a brilliant grin to brighten his face at Ryan's frustrated moan. 'You'll just have to wait and see, darling'

And just as Jeremy knew would happen, that response only ended up fuelling Ryan's excitement and anticipation for their trip. Ryan couldn't suppress the moan that slipped out to everyone's hearing. But even as he blushed hotly, he knew that it was going to be a memorable trip.

He couldn't wait.