Korrak watched the emotions play across her face—wonder, joy, a profound contentment that had been unimaginable a week ago. This was what victory felt like. Not a battle’s end, but a life’s beginning.
He was still kneeling when she reached for him, her arms sliding around his neck. She didn’t pull him up, but came down toward him, closing the distance between them. Then her mouth found his with a certainty that shook him to his core.
The kiss was not hungry or frantic. It was slow and deep, a deliberate exploration that felt like a vow being whispered from her soul to his. It tasted of forever, of firelight and safety, of a future he had never dared to envision but now could not imagine living without. Every stroke of her tongue, every soft sigh she breathed into him, was a promise etched into his very being. His polar bear growled with pure, undiluted satisfaction.
Mate. Ours. Home.
When she finally broke the kiss, they were both breathing heavily. A soft, knowing smile touched her lips.
“My Alpha,” she whispered, the title a caress and a claiming of her own.
A possessive growl vibrated in his chest. “Mine.” The word was truth.
Her answering smile was wicked. Her hands drifted from his neck, sliding down the front of his thermal shirt. With deliberate tugs, she began to peel the fabric from his body, her movements unhurried and reverent. He helped her, shrugging out of the shirt, his gaze locked on hers. She followed suit, removing her own sweater, then her jeans, until they were both bare before the crackling hearth.
The fire painted her skin in gold and shadow, highlighting the curve of her hips, the dip of her waist, and the beautiful, fierce strength of her. She was a masterpiece.
She placed her palms on his chest and gave a gentle, insistent push. He allowed himself to be guided down onto the thick fur rug before the fireplace, the heat from the flames licking at his back. She followed him down, settling astride his hips with a grace that made his blood burn. Her dark hair fell like a curtain around them as she leaned over him, her eyes gleaming with intent.
“I want to feel you,” she said, her voice a husky murmur. “All of you.”
She positioned herself, her gaze never leaving his, and began to sink down onto his hard cock. The sensation was intense, a slow, deliberate claiming that had his jaw clenching. Inch by glorious inch, she took him, her body welcoming him with a heat that seared through the bond. A low, ragged groan was torn from his throat.
Her head fell back as she seated herself fully, a loud moan of pure pleasure escaping her. The sound went straight to his cock, which throbbed inside her.
“Korrak…”
“Look at me,” he commanded softly.
She obeyed, her eyes fluttering open to meet his. The connection was absolute. Through their completed mate bond, her pleasure washed over him—not just physical, but a wave oflove, trust, and a fierce, joyous belonging that mirrored his own. It was a feedback loop of sensation, her desire amplifying his, his need feeding hers, until the line between them blurred into a single, shared experience.
“You feel perfect,” he growled out, his hands tightening on her hips.
She began to move, setting a slow, rolling rhythm that was pure torture and ecstasy. Her hands rested on his chest for leverage, her nails biting gently into his skin. He watched her, mesmerized by the play of firelight on her face, the parted lips, the flutter of her lashes. Each downward stroke was a deliberate savoring, a celebration of their joining.
He could feel the tension coiling tighter within her, a delicious pressure building through their shared awareness. “Faster,” she pleaded, her rhythm beginning to stutter.
With a growl of assent, he took control, his hips snapping up to meet her downward strokes, driving deeper. The pace shifted from reverent to consuming. Her cries grew louder, mingling with the crackle of the fire. He slid one hand from her hip to cup the full weight of her breast, his thumb circling her taut nipple, then the other, giving her that dual sensation she craved.
“Yes… right there,” she gasped, her inner muscles fluttering around him.
He moved his other hand from her breast, down the sleek plane of her stomach, until his fingers found the slick, swollen bud of her clit. He stroked her in time with his thrusts, the triple assault of sensation pushing her higher.
“Korrak, I’m—“ Her words shattered into a wordless cry.
He felt it the moment she broke. Her orgasm crashed through the bond into him, a tidal wave of pure, convulsing pleasure. Her body arched as she clenched around him, milking him with irresistible pulses. The sight of her coming apart above him, lost in the sensation he gave her, shattered his own control.
With a final, driving thrust, he followed her over the edge. His release ripped through him, a torrent of heat and possession as he spilled himself deep inside her, his body shuddering with the force of it. His roar mingled with her cries, echoing in the quiet cabin.
For long moments, the only sounds were the fire and their ragged breaths. She collapsed forward onto his chest, her skin slick with sweat, her body trembling with aftershocks. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against him, his face buried in her hair.
The mate bond hummed with a deep, resonant contentment. A perfect, silent harmony.
Korrak allowed himself to believe that maybe—just maybe—this peace could last.
TWENTY-FIVE
WINSLET
