Roland hated leaving Penny alone but he didn't have a choice. Why did he have to find his mate so close to the Summit? He just wanted to spend all of his time with her. Though he supposed Penny would have plenty of time to grow accustomed to her new life since he wouldn't have much time with her.
He left his room, mind linking Caleb. I've returned.
I heard you found your mate.
Well that didn't take long. I have.
Just don't let her distract you from your responsibilities, came the sour reply.
Roland sighed. Yes Alpha.
It took Caleb several more moments to reply. Congratulations. I am happy for you. It's late. We can meet tomorrow. I'm sure you're both tired from your travels.
Alright. I'll see you in the morning. Roland stopped in Caleb's study, dropping off a satchel, then headed out to the pack bath house to wash off the dust and dirt. He avoided his own since he knew there was a chance he'd run into Penny and he knew she definitely was NOT ready for that.
The pack bath house was much larger than the one he shared with Ragnar, with multiple rooms. He chose one that was empty and bathed quickly.
Once he finished, he dressed in some spare clothes and headed to the kitchen to grab some food for both himself and Penny.
Brianna, the head housekeeper spotted him almost immediately. "Roland! I heard you've returned with your mate. Is it true?"
"Yes. She's human, Bri and been through so much so don't expect to see much of her until after the Summit," Roland told her, grabbing some bread.
Brianna laughed. "This Summit might be the death of me."
"Perhaps, but you've done such a wonderful job with it already," Roland told her. "I'm heading back to my mate, so don't bother me unless it's necessary until morning."
"No problem, Beta. See you then. If you want breakfast brought up, let me know," Brianna called after him.
You're a wonder, Bri, he linked her as he headed back to him room, tray in hand. Is Penny back in my room? he linked Lillian next.
She is. Are you headed back?
I will be there shortly.
I'll take my leave then, Lillian responded.
He arrived in his room a few minutes later to find Penny settled in a chair near the fire. She was wearing a gold dressing gown and looked beautiful like always. She turned to him and smiled, happy he'd returned.
"How are you feeling?" He sat the tray down on the table.
Penny stood and walked over to him, and gave him a hug, surprising him. "Better. I love the bath house. I'm a little overwhelmed though."
"Well, at least we're done traveling and we won't be sleeping on the hard ground tonight."
They both settled down to eat at the table.
"This food is wonderful," Penny said as she sampled more of the bread.
"We do have a good cook," Roland agreed.
Once they had finished, he moved the dishes aside and pulled some documents out of his bag. "These are the papers I received when I purchased you," he said, showing them to her. "Papers of ownership."
Penny looked down at them quietly. That paper was her life, easily transferred from one person to another.
"I want you to take a good look at them and know that they are what I told you they are," Roland told her, looking her over. She was so beautiful tonight. She had her hair down and brushed out. He really loved it that way.
She looked them over and then looked up at him, nodding. "I see what they are," she whispered.
"Good." He picked them up and carried them over to the fire and tossed them in, watching them burn for a moment before turning back to her. "You're free now."
She smiled at him. "Thank you. I don't think I can pay you back though."
"I don't want you to pay me back. I just want you to be happy. If you don't want to be with me, I'll understand. Your happiness comes first, Penny." He stood with his hands in his pockets, looking at her.
She stood and walked over to him. "I've only known you for a short time, but you've already made me happy. I want to stay here and be your mate. I want to be yours."
He smiled. "And I want to be yours. Are you ready for bed?"
She stifled a yawn and nodded. "Im so tired. The bath was relaxing."
"Okay, you take the bed," Roland said, glancing around. He was probably going to have to sleep on the floor.
"And where are you going to sleep?" Penny asked him. She'd already looked the room over and there wasn't many options.
"Um .."
"Roland, that bed is big enough for an army. You've already slept with me once. You might as well continue to do so," Penny laughed.
"You're sure? I won't do anything you don't want me to do, Penny. I will behave," he promised.
"Well, if you're good, I might let you steal a kiss," she said shyly as she walked over to the bed, and began to prepare it for them.
"Really?" Roland walked over to the other side to help her.
She blushed. "Really." She slipped off the dressing gown, avoiding his gaze and crawled in the bed.
Roland crawled in as well, and they both laid staring at the ceiling.
"This bed is huge. I might get lost in it," Penny giggled.
Roland laughed. "If you do, I'll come find you. I promise."
She looked over at him. "Roland."
He looked over at her, meeting her beautiful gaze. "Yes? You're right. This bed is awfully big."
"Are you going to kiss me?"
His eyes widened in surprise. He'd thought she meant tomorrow, not right away. He'd been entirely happy to kiss her tomorrow, had been looking forward to it. "Are you sure?"
"Do you want to kiss me?" Penny asked him, though she already knew the answer. There had been times she had thought he was going to, but he always held back, which she appreciated.
"Yes," he said, as he moved closer to her. "Is this alright? Me kissing you in bed?"
She smiled. "I'm alright with it."
He leaned over her. "If you want me to stop, just let me know. I don't want to scare you."
Penny felt her heart warm at his words. He was so sweet to her. "Alright."
His lips met hers, and the tingles exploded, warming her and making her feel things she'd never felt before. She wanted him to do more than just kiss her. She wanted all of him. She parted her lips a bit and felt his tongue invade her mouth, surprising her at how nice it felt.
Roland kept himself off of her even though he desperately wanted her. Kissing her was so much better than he ever dreamed it would be. He needed to be careful and not let himself get carried away. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her. But then he felt her arms come around him and pull him closer and inwardly he smiled.
Finally, he broke the kiss, and looked down at her. Her swollen lips were parted as she looked up at him, making her even more beautiful. "Are you alright?"
"I.. yes. That was.. can we do it again?" She asked shyly.
He brought his lips back down on hers and she kissed him back more boldly this time, and he let her take control, and explore his mouth. Her hands ran over his back and he groaned. He was dying to touch her.
She broke off the kiss, looking at him, her eyes bright. Then she pulled him to her again. He laughed in his mind. His little Penny was enjoying this quite a bit. He decided to take a chance and after kissing her lips for a bit, he moved to her neck, kissing her on the spot where he planned to one day mark her.
She moaned into his ear which caused a rush of desire to flood through him. "Penny," he whispered, kissing her neck. He finally pulled back, laying next to her, trying to calm down.
She cuddled up against him. "That was... so much better than I expected. Will.. will bedding be the same?" she whispered, her face bright red.
He kissed the top of her head. "No. It'll be way better."