Seeing my hesitation, Nero cupped my face. “Remmy. When I say you can tell me anything, I mean it.”
I felt a rush of affection for him and smiled. He was right. I already knew I trusted him. I didn’t have anything to lose by unbottling my feelings and telling him what was on my mind.
I let out a long sigh. “I… I want to mate with you. To make a baby.”
Nero’s eyes slowly widened. For a moment he didn’t say anything and I worried I’d made a mistake. But when he laughed and threw his arms around me, my spirits lifted as high as the sky.
“If that was your big anxiety, you need to spill your feelings more often,” Nero said.
“You’re not upset? Even though we just talked about wanting to wait?”
He faced me with a serious but kind expression. “No, not at all. I’ll never be upset with you for speaking your mind. Iwantto hear your thoughts, Remmy. And I was thinking the same thing, too.” He chuckled. “Is that how being fated mates works?”
My heart fluttered. “You were?”
“I don’t know what it is about being around you,” Nero said. “It’s like I was looking at life without glasses on, except I didn’t know it until now, when everything is clear.”
I snorted in amusement. “You don’t even wear glasses.”
He grinned. “Bear with my analogy, okay? Anyway, I’ve always wanted kids, but just like everything else in my life, it never felt like the right time. And now I know why. It’s because I hadn’t met you yet. Before I felt immature. I wasn’t ready.” Nero rubbed his thumbs in gentle circles over the back of my hands. “But I’m ready now. I feel… changed. It sounds silly, doesn’t it?”
“Not at all. That’s what I’m experiencing too.” I blew out a breathy laugh. “Now I know what all my pack mates went through when they met their fated mate. It changed them, made them a better version of themselves.”
Nero smiled warmly at me, then tucked a damp strand of hair behind my ear. I blushed. I’d never liked anyone touching my hair before but with Nero it felt pleasant. There were so many things I didn’t like when other people did them, but Nero was the exception. I loved it when he doted on me.
“Well?” Nero asked quietly.
I knew what he was asking. My heart raced with excitement as I laid down on the makeshift blanket, feeling the warmth of the sand beneath it and the cool breeze from the water against my naked skin.
But the best feeling of all was when Nero braced himself on top of me.
It was time to take his alpha knot for real this time.
12
Nero
Remington was gorgeous.He was splayed against the sand, his yellow eyes flashing with lust and affection. I regarded his body with my eyes first, taking in the scene of him and committing it to memory because I never wanted to forget this moment. Then my hands followed, dancing over the planes of his chest and stomach, then his smooth thighs and the light tangle of dark hair on his calves. He wriggled under my touch, making small content noises.
His cock was hard. I teased it, then teased his hole as well. I was careful to keep his lower half securely on top of the shirt so no unruly grains of sand ruined our experience. When I ran two fingers smoothly against his hole, they were met with slick fluid. I shivered. He was ready for me.
My body tingled like it was struck by lightning. The scent of Remington flooded my nose. All my senses could focus on washim.If someone tried to drag me away from him right now, they’d be the victim of a shark attack.
Was this how it felt for all alphas around an omega in heat?
No. Remington wasn’t just any omega. He wasmine.My fated mate.
And right now, I intended to claim him.
My shark stirred inside me, roused with the primal urge to mate. I thought about what we’d discussed earlier—how sharks could only mate when both parties were actively involved. I felt that in my core now. We’d had sex and it was amazing, but it wasn’tmating.Maybe my shark knew that and laid low until now.
“Go in me,” Remington breathed. “I’m ready.”
I swallowed hard. My whole body was on fire with lust. I eased the tip of my cock against his slick hole and almost gasped in surprise when it slipped easily inside. We both shuddered.
The pleasure was mesmerizing, and judging by Remington’s expression, I could tell he felt the same way. He slowly raised his legs to wrap them around my lower back, locking me in place. I grinned. I loved that he knew what he wanted and did whatever it took to get it.
“More?” I asked.
