“Try harder,” he prompted.
The frustration boiled over. She swung again, but this time, something inside her snapped. A wild and unrestrained surge of energy rushed through her, and before she could stop it, her magic exploded outward.
The force sent Grayson stumbling back, and his eyes widened in surprise as he caught his balance. The punching pad flew from his hands, landing several feet away.
Cora froze, and her hands trembled as she stared at him. “I didn’t mean—”
“Relax,” he said, holding up a hand. “I’m fine.”
“I wasn’t trying to do that,” she insisted. “It just…happened.”
“You need to control it.”
“Oh, really? You think I don’t know that?” she snapped again. “Do you have any idea how hard this is? My magic is just as much a part of me as your wolf is part of you. Imagine, just for one second, how it would feel to lose access to what and who you are? I can feel my magic there, but it’s just out of reach. It’s shitty enough without you making it worse.”
“I’m trying to help you,” he told her, stepping closer.
“No, you’re trying to control me, just like everyone else. You think I don’t see it? The way you hover, the way you bark orders like I’m some soldier in your little black ops team? I didn’t ask for this,” she continued. “I didn’t ask for the bond, or the training, or for you to bulldoze your way into my life. I didn’t ask for any of it.”
Grayson was silent for a moment before he nodded. “You’re right.”
Cora blinked, stunned into silence by the unexpected response. “Excuse me?”
“You’re right,” he repeated. “I’ve been doing what I always do, what I’m trained to do. I’ve been so focused on the threat that I didn’t stop to consider the effect it was having.”
“I…” Cora paused, searching for the right words. She hadn’t expected him to listen, much less admit she had a point. “Thanks. I guess.”
He inched closer, and her heart skipped a beat as he lifted a hand and gently brushed his fingers along her cheek. The bond hummed low, but it felt different somehow. Softer. Warmer.
“I know this isn’t easy for you. You have every right to be frustrated. Angry, even.” His gaze met hers, and his voice lowered to a gravelly rumble. “But the thought of anything happening to you…”
Without permission, her eyes flitted to his mouth. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone looked at her like he did. The way he always did. She knew it was the bond causing it, but at that moment, the reason didn’t matter. Surrounded by nothing but trees and sky, she didn’t want to fight the pull anymore.
The space between them disappeared, and Cora reached for him. He was there, steady and sure, and his arms wrapped around her before his lips, claiming hers with a ferocity that stole her breath. She gave in without hesitation, losing herself to his taste and feel. The bond tugged hard at her chest, demanding more, and when his tongue grazed hers, a soft moan slipped out.
She felt his sharp intake of breath and the way his fingers curled into her hips. She pressed herself closer, aching for more. Grayson deepened the kiss, nipping her lower lip, and the world around her faded into a haze of warmth and want.
When he backed her into the nearest tree, pinning her against it with his body, she couldn’t suppress a whimper. Her hands slid under his shirt, desperate for more contact, and he growled into the kiss, tracing his tongue over her lower lip again before slipping back into her mouth.
Her hips arched against him, and a growl rumbled through his chest. One of his hands found its way to her thigh, and he hitched her leg up, angling himself closer. The contact made her dizzy with want, and she rocked her hips again.
“Cora,” he breathed, pressing his forehead to hers as his fingers tightened around her thigh.
She couldn’t reply. She couldn’t breathe. All she could do was chase the feeling, the desire, the need. Her skin tingled with each point of contact, and the bond pulsed hard, sending her blood rushing and her thoughts spinning.
He kissed her again, slow and thoroughly. He slipped a hand under the waistband of her leggings. Her body tensed as he inched lower, and a wave of pleasure hit her when his thumb brushed her clit.
His touch grew bolder, sliding deeper, and she gasped as two fingers entered her. Her grip tightened, fisting his shirt as her other hand dug into his shoulder. He set a slow pace, thrusting his fingers in and out, and the pressure started building inside her.
“Oh, god,” she whispered, rocking her hips in time with his strokes.
Just as she was about to tumble over the edge, he withdrew his hand and tugged on her waistband. “Off.”
“Yes,” she agreed, pulling at the leggings.
He helped her shove them down and then dropped to his knees, gripping her thighs and lifting her onto his shoulders. The moment his tongue found her center, she let out a ragged cry. Her hand fisted his hair, pulling hard, and her head fell back against the tree trunk as her body went rigid.
He gripped her hips and teased her, his tongue and lips coaxing the most delicious sensations from her. She didn’t bother trying to stay quiet. Didn’t bother holding back. The world fell away until nothing existed except his mouth, his hands, and the way he worked her until she shattered, falling apart under the waves of ecstasy. Her breath came in gasps and moans, and when her release finally hit, her legs clenched around his shoulders, trembling as the wave crashed over her.
