“Weeping moons, this is insane, but…” There was no going back. “Yes.”
“My mate!” Brand roared to the cave ceiling, throwing his head back with a booming laugh.
The freest she’d ever seen him—and it was nothing compared to when he rested his ear against her, closed his eyes with a contented sigh, and whispered, “Blessed Sisters, mymate,” like it was worship.
Oh, my stars, he’s…
The realization that he was listening to her heartbeat, like she’d done so many times to him, brought a fresh wash of tears spilling down her cheeks.
Lunara lightly traced the puncture marks she’d left behind. “My mate,” she said softly, bewildered—almost a question.
He straightened, his possessive touch drifting up her thighs and taking her skirts with it. “Say that again.”
“Brand.” Breaths coming faster, she let her own hand drop to the waistband of his trousers. “My mate.”
“Yours.” Fingers digging into her bare hips, he ground her against himself. “Fuck, I’m all yours.”
The strange material of his pants was soft, so thin she could see every bulging outline, but it was all wrong. She wanted to feelhim.On her, inside of her.
Brand bucked when she gripped him through the fabric. Her palm ran his hard length down and back up, again, before seizing and frantically loosening the drawstring.
Holding her tight, he raised to his knees and shoved his pants down with one hand, freeing himself.
He was… there weren’t words. A thrill ran through her seeing his size, the beaded drop clinging to the tip as it jutted towardher. She moved to seat herself on him, desperate to engulf his straining cock with her body. To put it right where it belonged.
“Wait. Stop.”
Lunara blinked, confused, hovering mere inches away from ecstasy.
“We can’t. Not yet.” Brand’s chest was heaving, his eyes wild. “Making love to you would complete our bond.” One arm around her back, he tilted her away as he gripped his base, dragging the head through her arousal with a shuddering groan before bringing it forward to tease her clit. “Would seal us together for eternity.” Side-to-side, so slowly she wanted to scream.
“I don’t see the problem,” she rasped, his hold too sure for her to move and take what she really wanted.
His lips peeled back, as if his actions were torturing him just as much. “Theproblemis that I refuse to do it outside of a warm bed, where I can take my time.” He drew out the last word even as he rubbed himself harder against her, faster. “Already, this is madness.”
Where Lunara found the audacity to say her next words, she didn’t know. “I think, Brandir aht Bordoroth, that I would have you anywhere. Even a damp, mysterious cave with death lurking outside. Especially then.” She grabbed one of his horns and forced him to look at what he was doing, to tempt him into more. “I want to see you come apart. I want to feel it—beforethe Veil.”
“Fuck.” He slapped himself against her, tearing a cry from her lips. “No. We’re getting out of this. And when I finally have you wrapped around me”—His lids fluttered, muscles corded with restraint as he ground their bodies together—“I swear you will be cradled by silk sheets and down feathers, and we’ll stay there for days, until I’m pried away against my will.” Shite, the ridge of his cock was absolutely intoxicating. “Since we have none of those things—no bed, no time—feelingwill have to wait, little moon.”
“Then show me.”
“You want to see?” Brand laid her back onto the platform, giving her a perfect view of him spreading her wetness down the length of himself. He bit his lip as his fist pumped, the fingers of his other hand skimming her calf, her thigh. “Then watch. Watch what just thethoughtof being inside you does to me.”
“Oh, shite.”
Muscles tense and corded, teeth sunk into his lip—witnessing Brand pleasure himself was unlike anything else. Up and down, every fierce stroke was fuel on the fire burning within her.
Lunara could hardly breathe when his movements became erratic, his stomach tightening. With a final squeeze to the inside of her leg, Brand covered the head of his cock and arched, coming with a strangled gasp and groan.
He was stunning straining above her, brows drawn, eyes never leaving hers as his other hand kept working to draw out every shuddering drop.
Lunara summoned a cloth from the ether as Brand collapsed next to her, the ease of the action a blaring reminder she’d blooded her true mate. Taking his hand, she kissed the back of it and cleaned his fingers, the salty-sweet scent of his release doing funny things to her. Mouthwatering things.
“Has anyone ever told you how magnificent you are?” She moved lower, dragging the linen over his abdomen. “I think you might be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Brand.”
The flush already suffusing his cheeks deepened, and she would have sworn his lip trembled as he stared at her, a look of utter devotion painted across his face.
She moved to grip his length, using the excuse of cleaning to touch him again. “I wish?—”
