The heat flared again in my belly, stronger this time, more demanding. My body knew what it needed. I reached for him. He immediately came to me, and the world narrowed to just us. Justthis, the bond and the need and the overwhelming rightness of finally being completely his.
Hours blurred together. I lost track of time. Lost track of everything except him and the heat and the desperate need that kept building and cresting and building again. He was insatiable.Iwas insatiable. The bond between us glowed so brightly I could almost see it.
At some point I realized he wasn’t speaking anymore, wasn’t using words. Just growls and possessive sounds that made me feel safe, claimed. Cherished.
His wolf had taken over completely, and I was learning that his wolf wanted me just as desperately as the man did. Maybe more.
I must have fallen asleep at some point because when I opened my eyes, pale light was filtering through the windows. Morning. Or maybe afternoon. I had no idea how long we’d been at this.
Mal was wrapped around me, his face buried in my neck. His breathing was even now, deep. He was asleep.
I shifted slightly and winced. I was definitely sore. Everything ached.
Through the bond, I felt his satisfaction even in sleep. His contentment. His absolute certainty that I was his and he was mine.
The bond itself felt different now. Stronger, more solid. A golden thread connecting us that felt unbreakable.
I should probably still be angry with him, make him work harder for forgiveness. Should probably not have just spent however many hours completely losing myself in him.
But I couldn’t bring myself to regret it.
This was what the mate bond was. This intensity, this connection and overwhelming rightness that transcended logic or reason or anger.
I was mated to a werewolf king, for fuck’s sake. My life had gotten so incredibly weird. I closed my eyes and let sleep take me again. We could deal with the council and Andreas and politics later. Right now, I just wanted to stay in this moment. Safe, claimed and finally home.
23
— • —
Wen
I woke up a few hours later with my body throbbing in a way that wasn’t quite painful but insistent. A low hum of need pulsed through me, manageable compared to the inferno from before. The heat was still there, just simmering instead of raging.
Mal was draped over me with one arm across my waist and one leg tangled with mine, his face buried in my neck as he breathed deeply in sleep. I was covered in sweat and felt sticky everywhere. Water sounded amazing. A bath sounded even better.
I carefully untangled myself from him, slipping out from under his arm and off the bed as quietly as possible.
The bathroom was through a door on the far side of the room. I’d been using it for days now but I was still fascinated by their technology. Sometimes things here felt medieval, likethe torches and the lack of electricity. But other things were surprisingly advanced. The plumbing, for instance. They had hot running water through a system of pipes that I still didn’t fully understand.
I walked to the large stone tub and pushed the lever I’d learned controlled the water flow. Hot water began pouring from the spout with steam rising immediately.
I watched it fill while my brain tried to reconcile everything I’d seen in this realm. Magic had to be involved somehow. There was no other explanation.
The tub was nearly full when I felt arms wrap around me from behind. I jumped and gasped.
“Why did you leave me?” Mal’s voice was muffled against my hair and he sounded genuinely hurt. “I woke up and you were gone. Never do that again.”
I couldn’t help laughing at the kicked puppy tone. “I was just getting a bath. I’m ten feet away from the bed.”
“You were not there. That is too far.” He pulled me closer against him, possessive and needy in a way that was so unlike him. “I need you close.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“I am being a mated male whose wolf just claimed his mate for hours and does not want her out of sight.” He nuzzled into my neck and kissed the mark he’d left there. “Stay close. Please.”
My heart squeezed at seeing him this vulnerable. He was usually so composed and regal. This unguarded version of him was doing things to me.
“Get in with me,” I said softly.
