She sighs and pads across the plush carpet to perch on the edge of her elaborate bed, the mattress barely dipping under her slight weight. “You’re worried.”
“Of course, I am.” The admission comes easier than I expected.
“You think I can’t handle myself here.” It’s not quite a question, more like a statement tinged with frustration.
“I know you can. I’ve seen you face down demons and witches and worse. That’s not the point.”
“Then what is?” she asks, a hint of frustration creeping into her voice, the edge that appears when she feels like I’m trying to wrap her in protective cotton.
I move to her slowly, dropping to crouch in front of her knees so I can meet her eyes directly. “You’re in a place that wants to own you, Angel. You’ve been through absolute hell, and now you’re some kind of royal prize for them to parade around. I don’t know the rules here. I don’t understand the dangers. I don’t know how to keep you safe in a world where politics are played with poisoned words and pretty smiles.”
She reaches out to touch my cheek, her palm warm against my skin. “You have already kept me safe. You’re still keeping me safe.”
“I didn’t save you from the high priestess that night. I didn’t stop them from dragging you away when you needed me most.” The guilt that’s been gnawing at me for weeks finally spills out in a rush of self-recrimination.
She makes a soft sound of disagreement. “How were you supposed to be in two places at once, Sam? You were doing exactly what you were supposed to do, patrolling the campus, protecting the other students. As for what happened in Willow Woods. . .” Her voice gentles. “I’ve already forgiven you for that.”
“I haven’t forgiven myself.” The words come out rougher than I intended, weighted with all the shame and regret I carry. Ishould have fought harder against Patrick’s orders. Should have defied my Alpha to stay by her side. Should have been strong enough to choose her over pack loyalty from the very beginning.
She slides down from the bed to join me on the floor, her hands cupping my face with infinite tenderness, her voice steady and sure. “Then let me remind you of something important. You’re mine, Sam Baker. I’m yours. We protect each other now. That’s how this works. That’s how it’s always going to work.”
I lean my forehead against hers, our breaths mingling in the small space between us. “I don’t want to share you.”
“You won’t.” She says it with such conviction, her voice a soft whisper that brushes against my lips.
“I already am.” The words escape me like a secret, tinged with a petulance I can’t quite suppress.
“Sam,” she whispers, her voice a gentle reprimand and a plea all at once.
Fuck it. I kiss her.
It’s soft at first, just a tentative brush of our mouths, a mingling of breaths. Then she tilts her head, deepening the kiss, and something inside me snaps. I wrap my arms around her, pulling her into my lap, my hands burying themselves in her hair. Her dress rides up, exposing her bare legs as they stretch out on either side of me. She clings to me like I’m her lifeline, her fingers digging into my back as we devour each other. Our bodies, starved of contact for far too long, press together with a desperation that borders on madness.
I press her back onto the plush carpet, following her down, kissing her like I’ll never get the chance again. I take my time, savoring every inch of her, pulling her dress over her head until she’s bare beneath me. Esme spreads her legs wide in invitation, and my wolf preens in satisfaction, knowing that I’m the only one who’s been inside her, the only one who’s seen her like this.
I take in every inch of her naked skin, trailing kisses from her neck down to her collarbone. I trace my tongue over her mate mark, feeling her squirm and buck underneath me, her body responding to my touch with a fervor that matches my own.
“Sam,” she pleads, her voice a husky whisper that sends a shiver down my spine.
“I know, Angel. I know.” I take a nipple between my teeth, biting down gently, eliciting a moan from deep within her that makes my aching dick weep. My balls draw up tight from the sound alone, my body ready and eager for her.
“I need you, Sam. I’m yours.” She cries out as I release her nipple with a pop and suck on the other, giving it the same attention, the same devotion.
Esme’s hands find their way under my shirt with a sigh, her touch like a brand, familiar and life-affirming, seeping into my skin, soothing my wolf. I continue my worship of her body, kissing my way down her stomach to the apex of her thighs. The sweet scent of her arousal makes my mouth water, my body aching with a need that only she can satisfy.
“I need to taste you, Angel,” I say, my voice a low growl as I pull her legs up and over my shoulders, diving in headfirst into pure bliss.
“Sam!” Esme shouts, her voice echoing around the cavernous room as I lift her hips, ass cheeks gripped tight in my palms, eating her pussy like it’s the only sustenance I need to survive. In this case, it is. I lick and suck her clit into my mouth, alternating between hard and soft ministrations until she’s begging me to stop.
“Not until you cum on my tongue, Angel. Give me one before I fuck you,” I tease, biting down harder on her clit until she explodes, her release hitting my tongue like a reward. I lap it up, savoring every drop, every tremor of her body.
Esme screams my name, her voice filling the room, and I know without a doubt that Locke hears it all. Yeah, I’m being petty, because she’s mine, and I have no problem reminding the asshole of that fact.
I slide Esme’s legs off my shoulders as she sags to the floor, her body spent and sated. I quickly remove my clothes as she watches me, her eyes hooded, her hands reaching out for me. I stroke my dick from root to tip, precum dripping from the tip with one goal in mind. Then suddenly, I’m stopping short.
“I don’t have protection,” I whisper, thinking of all the times we fucked without it before. Esme was a virgin, but she still took birth control. I guess in the end, it didn’t work for us. Fate had found a way, and our gift was taken away from us.
Esme’s face flushes before she speaks softly. “My mother gave me a tonic the witches in my coven take to prevent pregnancy. It is usually given twice a year. I was overlooked when I was sent to HellNight Academy so I had to rely on normal birth control. I guess. . .,” Trailing off she looks away, her voice tinged with a sadness that tugs at my heart.
