“Yes, sir,” I purred, knowing it would drive him mad.
“Damn, you’re such a good girl for me, aren’t you, Butterfly?” he purred right back. He stood, and even though we were in the middle of a communal area, I knew no one would disturb us,though, in truth, the thought of being caught only turned me on more. He freed himself from his combat trousers, and his length sprang free. “Before I keep my promise and make you scream my name, and before I rip these off with my teeth, show me just how good you can be, sweetheart.”
So I did. When we were sated and flushed, he took me to the house we shared and demanded I give him his grand gesture, too.
I did. Never once questioning my worth or my place by his side. Those demons were gone, and though I knew the future wouldn’t always be easy, I trusted that Stone would always be there for me, just as I would be for him.
Epilogue
Shannon
Giggles and laughter made me smile as the kids raced around the playground with footballs and skipping ropes. I loved this time of day when they could let loose some of the energy they kept bottled up in the classroom.
The sun warmed my face as I navigated between the running and squealing children. I had shucked off my jacket during this morning’s classes. It wasn’t that hot outside, yet I wasboiling.I pulled my silky top from where it stuck to my damp skin and sighed at the feel of the summer breeze flowing under the material.
Stone strolled in through the gates, and some of the kids nearby gaped up at him, their eyes as round as saucers. I grinned. He clearly looked like a giant to them. To me, he was the sexiest male alive, and if it wasn’t so inappropriate for a school teacher, I’d jump up, wrap my legs around his waist, and kiss him until neither of us could breathe.
“Hey.” He leaned in and brushed his lips to mine, making a couple of the year fives giggle. “Ready for lunch?”
I laughed and snuggled under the arm he put around my shoulders, trying to rein in my need to tackle him to the ground right then and there. “Yep, I’m starving.”
“Bye, Miss!” yelled Mark, one of the cheekier kids from my class, making kissy noises as he whizzed past and booted a football to one of his friends. It was pointless reminding him that I’d be back in time for his afternoon class. Especially now that he was hooting and laughing with Damien, and they were both making kissy noises.
Stone raised a brow. “Are they always that…annoying?”
My laugh made his lips twitch. “You have no idea.” And yeah, it was true. Some days, I wished I was still a warrior instead of a trainee teacher. It would be easier to put down my enemies than try to control a class of young kids who were constantly pushing boundaries and doing things like stabbing each other’s hands with a pencil. But this was the life I’d chosen and I loved it, even if the learning curve was enormous. Especially on how to be diplomatic with parents who thought their child could do no wrong. I was still training, but being a teacher filled something in my soul that being a warrior never had. Imparting knowledge, seeing that light come on in a child’s gaze when they realised they could work out how to do the task you’d set, helping those who found words and numbers difficult was fulfilling in a way the violence of being a warrior could never be. Not for me, anyway.
Stone pressed a key fob, and the Land Rover he’d driven into the school grounds beeped, the lights winking to say it was unlocked. Not that locking a vehicle was necessary inside the compound, but Stone was always vigilant. He released me with a kiss to my temple and pulled a picnic basket and blanket from the back seat.
“Come on, let’s go to the beach for a while.”
“Sounds great.”
Maybe there would be more of a breeze there to cool me down. I took the hand he held out, revelling in the warmth and strength of his calloused grip as it wrapped around mine, and he guided me down the narrow sandy path.
The compound’s school was not far from the beach, so it didn’t take long before my feet sank into the soft golden sand of the shoreline. We hadn’t gone far onto the beach before Stone spread the blanket. “Sit.”
His instruction, as innocent as it was, had desire spiking between my legs. Fuck, he only had to look at me these days, and I was lusting after him. My body leaked heat, goosebumps peppering my skin as I did as he instructed.
Standing over me, his eyes darkened, the same lust I felt written all over his face. He grinned and a wave of need hit me through our bond.
“Always so good for me, aren’t you, Butterfly.”
I groaned at the gravel in his voice, my head tipping back and exposing my throat. My skin itched, my blood heated, and my clothes stuck to my damp skin. They were in the way. I needed them off. I needed his body heavy on mine, his skin touching every inch, and his cock inside me. “Stone, I need you,” I said, dropping back on the blanket, grasping my skirt, and lifting it up my thighs. “I’m hot. So hot…”
Stone dropped to his knees, his face dipping into a frown. His hands gently covered mine. “Hey, what’s wrong?” His nostrils flared as a wave of heat hit me, and I grasped at his wrists. “Fuck, baby, you’re in heat. We have to get home…”
Panic hit me. The thought of him not taking me made my chest tighten until I was grabbing at him, gasping for air. “No… not yet. Please….I need you…”
A muscle ticked at the side of his jaw. “Fuck, Shan, we’ll have every unmated male in a half-mile radius hunting us down. I need to get you home. I don’t want to hurt anyone.” His voicedropped. “And believe me when I say I’ll fucking kill anyone who tries to take you from me.”
My face flushed more, desire curling low in my belly at the possession and protectiveness in his voice. I loved being his, though part of me felt a twinge of guilt at not having a discussion about my heat cycles. I’d thought about getting some drugs over the last six months since we’d been home to suppress my heat, but I’d honestly thought I’d have longer. I guess with starting my new job and settling back into life here, it must have slipped my mind. I’d never bothered with drugs before, and I hadn’t been in heat since my father had locked me up in that fucking prison. Maybe it had been the alcohol or lack of nutrition that had held them back before, fuck only knew, but now it was too late. Did Stone even want kids? I was ashamed to say we’d never talked about it. I’d thrust it to the back of my mind, frightened of his answer. Shit. I was an idiot.
I undulated my hips, needing friction but finding none. Another wave of heat flushed my body, my sex swollen and needy despite not being touched. “I can’t… please…”
At my plea, he swore under his breath and positioned himself between my legs. Fumbling with his jeans, he got them undone and yanked them down to mid-thigh. The sight of his swollen erection only made me more desperate, and I writhed as he dragged my skirt right up and grabbed my silk undies, ripping them off.
There was nothing gentle about the way he plunged into my wet heat. “Fuck. Me.” His face screwed up in pleasure, his eyes shut even as he pumped his hips—hard—slamming my body into the sand. His eyes opened, a mix of heat-soaked silver and purple staring back. “Mine,” he growled as he drove into me with no restraint, his wolf riding him high.
