“I don’t like secrets,” I said quietly when the silence dragged on.
“I know, I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so out of my head and scared to think what I’m capable of—what I could do to you.”
I nodded, understanding that was fair. “Can I talk to your lion for a bit? You don’t have to shift, but I need him to understand this is a conversation for him and me.”
“Alright,” he hedged.
I let out a slow breath and moved over to Creed, reaching up and cupping his cheek. “I love you as much as the man, my furry cat. You are amazing and I know you have been through too much.” I waited until he nodded. “I need you to be more patient with Creed. None of this was his fault. He’s on your team.”
Again, I got another nod and he nuzzled my hand.
“You are one of instincts and needs, but those don’t always work for us as people. You won’t understand the depths of how I was hurt, so I will do my best to be good to you, but you have to help us now. You have to protect me in ways you won’t understand and youhave totrust Creed on things. I’m more than understanding for you too. I have been.”
“He agrees, but he’s tired of constantly being told no after being held back for so long,” Creed grumbled, sounding at the end of his rope.
“Fine, but I don’t reward bad behavior, so he also needs to start appreciating how spoiled he is too. I’ve heard other shifters grumble that they wish they had someone to cater to their animals the way I do and some of them are mated,” I reminded him.
Creed flinched. “That helped. He doesn’t know that. We haven’t seen or heard about many healthy matings.” Relief was thick in his eyes. He knew what to do now or how to get help.
“Good.” I took his hand in mine and sucked up my nerves, leading him to the bedroom.
“Aurora, we don’t have to do this,” he whispered.
“Stuff it. Your way wasn’t working,” I reminded him. I undressed fully and leaned against the wall. I knew to him it might seem seductive, but really it was to keep me standing when I was scared and wanted to flee.
Or maybe not that bad, but this wasn’t my forte.
“Come touch your mate, but begentle,” I whispered, my voice shaky.
Creed’s lion was in his eyes as he stalked towards me. He was naked in a flash and the moment he was, I grabbed his dick. It shocked him and he froze.
“I can handle this much,” I promised him as I moved my hand faster.
“It’s so much better when you do it,” he purred and leaned in, kissing along my neck. “Mark your stomach, Aurora. You don’t smell enough like us. You have to smell like us or I fucking lose my mind. Can I touch you? I need to touch your fucking breasts. I want to make you wet. I want to do everything to you and your pretty pussy.”
I nodded and couldn’t get over how ridiculously vocal he was being. He wasn’t a quiet one, but this was well over what I was used to. He told me everything he liked about my body but mostly how it made him feel when I reacted positively to him. When I made noises, I didn’t even realize that I did.
And apparently, he wanted a lot more of them, begging me to never hide from him and he couldn’t wait until I would enjoy it all.
He finished on me, but once wasn’t enough. He wanted more.
Still, I wasn’t going to fall into… Well, it wasn’t past mistakes. None of what I was forced into was my fault.
This time was my choice.
“Acknowledge you’re being greedy,” I told Creed, but more his lion. “Your mate submitted to you and gave you what you needed and you demand more. You’re greedy.”
“We’ve suffered,” he growled, sounding a bit more animal than man.
“Yes, yes, you have, but I didn’t do it,” I reminded him. “You want me to pay penance for the crimes of others. You wantCreedto and we did nothing. So do not demand this level from your mate and acknowledge you’re greedy.”
He let out a long, slow breath. “You don’t want us like we want you and it’s confusing and painful. A lion doesn’t get it like I do and he’s just been released but still feels like he’s constantly being held back.”
“That’slife,” I told his lion. “And it all takes work. I feel the same. Constantly. I feel it constantly.” I let go of him and blinked back tears.
“Please, don’t flee,” Creed begged me. “He hears you. He believes you. We’ll try better, babe. We’ll really try better. I just—like I can’t focus and all—you’re the answer and all I want.”
He moved his hands to the wall instead of pressuring me or making me feel like we had to keep going, but it was clearly to keep me there. I could have ducked under his arms and moved. I knew that.
