His whole body went taut. “Yes?”
“Yes. Claim me. Make me yours.”
The sound he made was inhuman. Joy, relief, need, all rolled into one. He thrust deeper, building the rhythm, and I felt myself climbing toward another peak. I’d never had so many orgasms in one night. Hell, maybe not even in one week, at least not with a man.
“Look at me,” he commanded, voice rough. “Don’t close your eyes. I want to see you when I make you mine.”
I held his gaze, watched his face as the pleasure built and built. His eyes went full amber, glowing in the low light, and I could see the wolf there, hungry and devoted.
“I love you,” he said. “More than anything. More than my kingdom, more than my own life.”
“I love you too, Caelan. So damn much.”
He thrusted two more times, his fingers pinching my clit, and the orgasm hit me in a wave, and at the exact moment I crested, he struck. His teeth sank into my shoulder, and my world exploded.
It wasn’t just pleasure, it was a flood of emotion pouring into me. Caelan’s love crashing through my chest. His fear, his joy, I felt him even more than I had before. Not just his body against mine, but his soul. His overwhelming love, his bone-deep relief, his fierce protectiveness. His awe that I was really his, really here and choosing him.
I’d been feeling him even before the claiming, because we were always meant to be connected. Two halves of one whole. The sensation overwhelmed me, making me lose myself in between our shared pleasure.
When I came back to myself, I was crying.
“Did I hurt you?” He was pulling back, searching my face, concern breaking through the amber in his eyes. “Riley...”
“I’m fine.” I was laughing through the tears. “I’m perfect. I just... I can feel you. Everything. It’s a lot.”
His expression softened. Relief flooded through the bond, and I marveled at how clearly I could sense him now.
“I felt you before,” I said, wonder in my voice. “At book club. In the alley. I didn’t understand it then, but I was feeling you. Because we’re...”
“Mates,” he finished. “Yes. We’ve been connected since the moment I found you, though you shouldn’t have felt it, since you’re human. Maybe it’s because our bond is so strong. The claiming right now just... completed it.”
He pulled me against his chest, wrapping around me protectively. His hand covered the fresh mark on my shoulder, the claiming mark, and warmth pulsed through it.
We fell asleep tangled together, my head on his chest, his hand covering the claiming mark.
Mate. Finally.
20
— • —
Riley
When I woke up this time, there was no cold to ruin the moment. No sore throat, no stuffed nose, no stupid ex to ruin the moment. Just warmth and contentment and the solid weight of the man wrapped around me from behind.
I could feel him through the bond, a constant presence in the back of my mind. Right now, it was peaceful. Drowsy and content. And also, I realized as I shifted slightly, extremely aroused.
His cock pressed hard against my ass, thick and insistent, nestling right into the curve like it owned the spot. And hell, after last night, it pretty much did. I shifted just a bit, grinding back against him, testing the waters, feeling that rigid length slide along my skin.
Caelan let out a low groan, the vibration rumbling from his chest straight into my back. Heat spiked through our bond, making my core clench. His arm locked tighter around my waist, yanking me flush against his body, no space left between us.
“Dangerous game, little menace,” he rasped, voice thick with sleep and hunger, all gravel and raw want.
“Maybe I like danger,” I shot back, my pulse kicking up.
He grunted, half-amused, half-warning, and his hands started to move. One slid up my side, palm rough as it cupped my breast, kneading the flesh with firm squeezes. His thumb grazed my nipple, circling slow before flicking it, making it harden into a tight peak that sent jolts straight to my pussy.
The other hand gripped my thigh, fingers digging in, then he hooked my leg back over his hip, spreading me wide open, completely exposed. Vulnerable as fuck.
