Hey everybody! This is the M-rated anniversary story as promised. I don't think it's crucial that you read my other story What Binds Them first but it's kind of the foundation that this story is built on. To all my fans: you guys are awesome! I haven't forgotten about you, I just have been busy working on my own book ~.^ I'll keep you guys updated on that. Anyway, enjoy this peek into Chloe and Derek's married life!

Love,

Azure.

An anniversary to remember

I sighed and looked at my watch. As usual I had been right on time, immediately seated and the waiters treated me like I was going to bite their heads off. Which I certainly could do but they didn't actually know that. Chloe was late by thirty seconds and counting. It wasn't her being late that was annoying me, the woman had no sense of timing, it was the fact that I had expected to be with her again thirty seconds before and the constant ache that pulled at my chest when she wasn't around got worse when she was later than she said she would be. She called me her addict but I saw the same look in her eyes when she saw me, it was what made getting up in the morning worthwhile.

I'd barely glancing over the wine menu, it was either going to be a Carmenère night or a tequila night, I'd have to see what mood Chloe was in when she arrived. For now I ordered a bottle of the Chilean Carmenère, asking the sommelier to uncork it at the table instead of the back, I wasn't a big drinker but Chloe and I definitely were partial to a really good bottle of the full red wine every now and then and one of my favorite parts was the smell when it first is opened.

The sommelier came out, a fixed smile on his face, his too-much cologne barely masking his smell of irritation. He walked to me, bottle in hand, that smile slipping just a little as a whiff of that sour intimidated prey smell came off him. Humans instinctively knew I was a predator of some kind and generally avoided me, which I had no problem with.

As I looked into his face I saw his eyes slide from my too-reflective green ones but instead of looking uncomfortable he got the tightness around his eyes and slight parting of his lips that signified arousal in human males. I turned, already smiling as I felt the flower-petal soft wave of energy that was Chloe push across the restaurant. The bottle slid out of the sommelier's grip and I instinctively caught it halfway to the ground before nearly dropping it myself.

Where did she get THAT?

"The gold patron please." I asked, not taking my eyes from my mate as I handed back the bottle. Thank god I'd told him to hold off opening it, tonight was going to be a tequila night.

Chloe had her shoulder-length hair pinned back on one side, it was back to strawberry blond and the pin she used was blown glass, shaped like a small cluster of strawberries and their blossoms. She had the barest dusting of makeup on since she didn't need any and never would. A little silver around her large gray eyes, some mascara and with nothing on her small full mouth my whole body still tightened.

It was the dress that made me want to throw her on the table though. Red silk, as modestly slinky as a pin-up girl's, just above knee-length and when she twisted to get around a table, backless. Oh god.

Every eye in the restaurant and on the patio was on her. To me she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, but to them I knew that she looked different, almost ethereal with the slight otherworldly glow that marked us as 'other.'

The worst part was she knew exactly what affect she was having on me. I'd had to sit her down at the beginning of our relationship and tell her that whenever she pushed me sexually the wolf part of my brain wanted to take her, as that was what a wolf typically does with his mate. Instead of backing off of course she had given me a coy look and asked my just how far she could go before I lost control. This was about as far.

Of course, this was taking into account the decade of practicing control, ten years ago I would have marched her right out, growled half a lecture at her and pinned her to the nearest solid object. My body still reacted as strongly but I had learned that it was even more gratifying in the long run if I could hold back.

"Hey Fido." She said with an impish grin.

A thrill ran through me as her scent enveloped me. She still smelled like a field of strawberries, which was why she had the hairclip, it was a birthday gift from me from years before. She also smelled like trouble, which on her made my stomach clench in anticipation and I caught my favorite scent of hers, the one she had whenever she saw me after more than half an day's absence. The almost spicy scent of arousal.

"Hi sweetheart." I stood carefully and cupped her warm cheek, kissing her like it was the first time we'd seen each other in years, not hours.

There were a few whistles and cheers, I barely registered them as the taste of my mate hit my tongue. She pulled back first, knowing that I was on the brink and that if she pushed too hard I would take her home early.

I pulled out her chair, angling my body away from prying eyes, no need for the rest of the restaurant to see how Chloe affected me. When she was seated, tucking in slender feet that were laced into completely impractical strappy heels, I seated myself quickly on the other side.

"Where. Did you get that." I nodded at the dress, noting that, if anything, she had a little bit of built-in support in the dress itself, but no bra.

Dear god what did I do to deserve this?

"Your credit card." She barely kept a smile off of her face as she pulled a slender tube of deep red lip-gloss from her cleavage and applied it using the reflection on her knife. "I didn't want you to smear it." She said for explanation as she tucked it away again.

I watched the small movements like a man possessed. When the person you were madly and permanently in love with did sensual things like applying lip-gloss, sticking things in her cleavage or breathing, the world tended to lose all sense of gravity.

I stared at her glossy red lips, imagining them on mine, on my chest, on my stomach, wrapping around my-

Chloe's cheeks tinged pink and her breath quickened. She knew me well enough to read my mind via my face and body gestures and right now my body was screaming like a thirteen year old boy on a date with Megan Fox.

"Just appetizers?" She asked breathlessly.

We rarely went out to eat because the nauseating smell of so much different foods disgusted me. But this place was airy, with a big outdoor deck where we were currently seated and served a spectacular steak in a portion that actually made a dint in my appetite.

I thought about sitting in public for an hour without being able to touch Chloe the way I wanted to and not just the wolf protested.

"And tequila." I agreed, my voice dropping octaves rapidly.

She smiled and my insides liquefied while my outsides did the opposite.

The waiter came this time with two glasses, golden liquid in both and a bottle of patron which he left on the table. He stared openly at Chloe when she ordered from the menu and I bit back a growl.

"The beef flautas, chips and salsa, and the tacos al pastor." She smiled at him and he nearly dropped her menu.

"Yes ma'am." He gave her another look and hurried off.

"Leave him intact puppy, he's just a child." She crooned with a wicked grin, slipping her hand under mine and lifting her glass. "To three years of human marriage."

I touched her glass with my own, never taking my eyes off her and draining it in one shot, glad we'd decided on taking cabs here. "May this torture never end."

She grinned at that, just barely wrinkling her nose in a way that normally I thought was adorable but right now was as sexy as if she'd crawled across the table. We were so screwed.

"Just breathe Derek." She barely touched her bottom lip with her tongue when she smiled this time, an unconscious gesture that never failed to get stuck in my mind all day.

"Let's get the check."

"Derek. You promised." She reminded me, eyes twinkling.

I had promised her a dinner out damnit. Now I couldn't think about food, and Chloe was the only thing that ever trumped food in my book. Chloe in this dress trumped breathing.

I slowly clenched a fork in one hand, bending it in half, eyes locked on hers. It took me a second to even register what I'd done before I straightened it again and put it down, her eyes were really dancing now.

"This definitely counts as cruel and unusual punishment." I groaned, wiping my hand down my face and slumping back in my chair.

"Maybe if I'm lucky you'll punish me." She murmured innocently while I choked on patron.

You would think after being with her for over ten years, married for three as of today, I would be able to control myself.

Fine. Two can play this game.

Her eyes widened as she saw the shift in my expression and knew she was in trouble. The problem with mates was that it went both ways, from her scent I could tell that she liked my black slacks and fitted green shirt as much as I liked her dress.

I took her hand from under mine and raised it to my lips, eyes focused on hers as I pressed my lips to it. Her lashes fluttered and I knew I had her. Just for good measure I flipped her hand over and nipped her palm, making her suck in a breath.

"You've made your point." She said in a breathy voice. "I've been punished."

I chuckled. "Little bird this is just a slap on the wrist compared to what I'm going to do to you."

Her eyes went misty. "Okay. We can get the check."

I told the waiter to pack the food and patron to go. He looked at me skeptically but went anyway. While we waited Chloe sipped on her glass of tequila and I had another full one, just starting to feel the warm buzz that made me want to rip Chloe's clothes off even more.

As her cheeks tinged pink I saw that the drink was getting to her head too. We never got really drunk, we were too afraid of our powers and strength respectively to cut loose like that but thankfully we both had an even better vice that was a more than adequate substitute.

Chloe leaned forward, just showing the tops of her breasts over the dip in her dress as she tilted her face up to me. I would know that look anywhere, she was about to take things too far. She did an odd little wiggle then pressed her hand against my thigh under the table. When I put mine over hers she slid her hand away, leaving something behind.

I carefully and subtly felt it with the one hand, tracing what felt like lace and slender straps… A quick glance down at my hand, still hidden behind my thigh and my worst fears were confirmed. A lacy red thong the same color as her dress.

I quickly stuffed it in my pocket but I knew from Chloe's satisfied reaction that my eyes were fully dilated from arousal and that there was no turning back now. I tossed down a hundred dollar bill, having withdrawn cash as a preemptive measure when the waiter came back, told my body to behave for twenty seconds and took the to-go bag in one hand and tucked Chloe under my other arm.

A cab was outside waiting and Chloe laughed. "Planned ahead?"

"I told the hostess to call the cab company when she saw me ask for the check, it's amazing the service you get with a big tip." I gripped her tightly to my side. "You are in big trouble."

"I hope so." She smiled wickedly.

We got into the cab, grateful it was past rush hour but mourning that we lived a whole five miles out of town. Chloe chatted to the driver about his day and his kids while she slid her hand achingly slowly up my thigh. I reciprocated, dipping my fingers just in the back of her dress, brushing her spine slowly in a way that made her back arch.

I knew her body and its reactions better than I knew my own. I knew that if I traced up her spine with my lips then she would give me anything I wanted. I knew that if I brushed up her inner thighs feather-light then she would be wild beneath my hands. I knew that if I bit the curve of her neck she would make a whimper so animalistic that I would instinctively growl in return. I also knew that I could never do any of those things to manipulate her because as soon as I smelled her arousal or saw her lips wet and parted, tongue pressed against her teeth, I wouldn't be able to think straight.

For the ride home I restricted myself to just touching the middle of her back. I was in agony by the time we finally hit our driveway and I told the cab driver to just let us out but Chloe insisted that we ride up to the front door.

The driver raised his eyebrows at me when he realized how long our drive way was and that I wanted to walk that far in the dark. I hadn't, once we were on our property I had planned to toss Chloe in the woods. She paid the man while I unlocked the door with shaky hands and waited just inside.

"Derek?" She called as the cab drove away.

I left the lights off and waited for her to get inside the doorway, then grabbed her and slammed the door shut and her against it, kissing her fiercely.

"How much do you like this dress?" I managed to growl as I kissed my way down her throat.

"A lot."

"Damnit." I lifted her by her thighs and pushed her against the door again, dipping to catch her peaked nipple gently with my teeth through the thin material.

She wrapped her legs around my waist, fumbling with my belt with one hand while the other tangled in my hair and pressed me tighter against her.

"Bed?" I managed to gasp, pushing her skirt up over her hips.

"Too far!" She replied in kind.

"Couch?" I asked again, looking at the soft leather sofa not six feet from us.

"Still too far!" She moaned. "Der…ek…!" She managed to unfasten my belt but couldn't focus with my mouth on her breasts and laced both hands in my hair. "Here. Now."

I ripped off the belt completely and unzipped my pants before she grabbed my hand and dragged it up her body, touching everything along the way until my index finger was in her mouth and she swirled her tongue around it.

I tossed my head back as she sucked on my finger and wrapped a slender hand around me, pulling me free of the slacks.

I dimly heard myself ask, "lubricant?" in an almost unintelligible growl.

"Fuck it." She wiggled until I was just pressing against her, pushing onto me.

I knew I should argue, knew that she would be sore in the morning but as she slipped over me, clenching so tight and hot over just and inch of me I couldn't think anymore. All human reason flew out of my mind with years of schooling and two PhD's, leaving nothing but the throbbing that mimicked her heartbeat as I carefully eased a few more inches inside of Chloe.

She arched against the door, shoving herself against me and sinking another inch before I caught her hips firmly in my hands, stilling her. Without foreplay or lubricant I had to be careful not to hurt her but she was so far gone that she seemed not to care.

She screamed in frustration and tightened her legs around my hips, pulling me violently towards her and I sank my whole length as carefully as she would let me. A moan tore from her lips that was so desperate I was afraid I'd hurt her before she pulled my hair back, kissing me. I felt her clench around me as she gave herself a second to adjust.

"Get. On the ground." She bit my ear hard and I dropped us back, one hand on the rail of the stairs and the other on the wall so I didn't jar her.

As she slowly started to rise and fall I closed my eyes, reveling in the feel of her. I moved my hands back to her hips, slowing her as much as I could for fear of tearing her.

"For once. Stop. Worrying!" She grabbed my hands, yanking one to her breast and the other to her mouth again.

I couldn't even summon enough human for speech to argue as she moved faster and drew a primal groan from me. She ripped at my shirt and I lifted enough to take it off so she could run her hands over my chest and stomach with a sound that was close to a purr.

Without warning her nails bit into my skin, the pain stinging only dimly as it mixed and confused with the pleasure. I grabbed both of her wrists in one hand and held them tight so she could only move her lower body. I liked to dominate but with Chloe the line between dominant and submissive blurred so much as to be indefinable.

She was so tight it was almost painful for me and I was about to try to slow her down again when she arched back and up, her whole body tensing before the waves of an orgasm swept her away completely and she met my eyes, making the soft screams that always drove me wild. As she rode it out she ground against me harder, shoving herself fast onto me again and again until the friction and throbbing brought her over the edge again and this time me with her.

I cried out her name, releasing her wrists so I could dig my fingers into the stairs beneath us as I felt my release sweep away all conscious thought. She kept rising, falling and grinding until both of us were spent and we were limp in each other's arms.

"That was… fun…" She managed between shaky breaths.

I chuckled when I remembered how to breathe and pushed my fingers through her hair, kissing her forehead as she snuggled into my slick chest. She was glistening with sweat, making her whole body as arousing as the parts I was still buried in.

"Are you all right?" I managed after we'd had a minute to catch our breath.

She kissed me, sucking on my lower lip and letting it slide out of her mouth in a way that was getting me hard again. "You worry too much." She carefully raised herself up and off me, standing and wobbling before finding her feet again. "I'm fine… just wet." She shot me a grin as she stumbled back, suddenly remembering she was in heels.

"Let's get to the shower then." I stripped off my remaining clothes, picked her up easily—not wanting her to break an ankle in those silly shoes—and went up the stairs.

Two weeks later

I woke up to quiet sounds coming from the bathroom, Chloe was throwing up. I jumped out of bed and went in, kneeling to hold back her hair as she leaned against the wall tiredly, a towel wrapped around her.

"Hey baby." I murmured, putting a hand to her forehead.

She spat in the toilet and pushed to her feet, flushing it. "Morning." She managed with a weak smile.

"You okay?" I rested back against the wall while she brushed her teeth, completely unconcerned with my lack of clothes.

She nodded and rinsed, then splashed water on her face. "Just been a little queasy, I think it's a bug."

I nodded but frowned in thought, following her out. She pulled one of my shirts over her head and went to the dresser to get a hair brush. I followed, hugging her gently from behind and breathing in at her neck.

Something was off about her scent and my frown deepened as I turned her around and dropped to my knees. I smelled in between her breasts, getting momentarily distracted until she tapped me with the hairbrush.

"Derek. What are you..?"

I inhaled deeply, searching for the new smell, going lower than her breasts (reluctantly) until…

"Uh oh." I paled and looked up at her.

"What's uh oh?"

"I should call Elena." I pushed to my feet, grabbing a pair of shorts and pulling them on.

"Derek! What's uh oh?" She shouted after me as I left the room.

I stopped at the top of the stairs and decided it was probably something Chloe should know about first.

"You're pregnant." I said softly.

"I…" She blinked confusedly and sank slowly on the edge of the bed, hand drifting to her flat stomach. "Are you sure." It wasn't even really a question since she knew what my sense of smell was like.

"I'd say ninety five percent sure." I nodded, moving back in front of her and taking her hands.

"We… We're going to have a baby?" She looked up at me as a tear ran down her face.

I nodded worriedly. "Unless… unless you don't want to." The wolf in me howled in protest at that but I'd always been adamantly pro-choice, Chloe got the final say in anything that happened with her body as long as it didn't include another man.

She stared down at her stomach. "A baby." She burst into tears and I kneeled in front of her, really worried now. "Oh my god! A baby!" She started laughing joyously through the tears and I breathed a sigh of relief, sweeping her in a hug and kissing everywhere I could reach.

"I love you." I whispered in her hair, then lifted her higher so I could kiss her stomach. "And you."

Chloe looked up at me, eyes shining. "I'm going to have your baby."

I kissed her soundly feeling complete and absurdly content. "You're going to have our baby."