“So did something happen today?” I asked. “Your text earlier made it sound like you had a rough day.”
Her back was turned to me while she did the dishes, and she whipped around to face me. She leaned against the counter, crossing her arms over her chest. “My idiot brother was here waiting for me when I got off work. He came by to lecture me about how fast our relationship was moving.”
Well, he was going to be in for a real surprise when he found out we were mates…
“Yeah, um, I, um, I actually came over to talk to you about that.” I rubbed my claws through the fur of my thighs, trying to ground myself.
“Atlas, if this is about Jade and what happened the other day—”
I cut her off before she could continue.
“No, I don’t even want to think about her.” I growled under my breath. Jade wasn’t part of this equation. “I want to talk about us. About the full moon,” I said in a calm, even tone, focusing my gaze on Tegan. “Why don’t we sit on the couch,” I suggested.
“Okay.”
We made our way to the living room, and Tegan sat down on the couch.
I sat next to her, making sure my thigh was touching hers. I wanted to pull her into my lap and hold her tightly, but eye contact was probably best for a conversation like this.
“I’d like us to spend the full moon together, Tegan. Here, in the woods by the cottage. I—I know we talked a little bit about rut, and what happens to wolven during that time, but have you ever heard of primal play?”
She shook her head.
“It’s role playing, where one partner is the predator, and the other is the prey. For wolven, it’s instinctual.” I bit my lip, anticipating a negative reaction over what I was about to say next. “You’d run, and I’d chase after you.”
I could see her chest heaving, her breathing picking up. I wasn’t sure if she was nervous or excited.
“And what would happen,” she said, her voice low, “when you caught me?”
“I’d fuck you—hard. Over and over again.”
She nodded. “I want that.”
I chuckled, reaching for her hand. “I do, too, but I want us to use a safe word. If there’s any point where you’re scared, or I’m hurting you—I want you to use it. Whatever it is we’re doing, you use your safe word, and it stops right then. Your safety is my top priority.”
Her expression brightened, and she smiled wider than I’d ever seen her smile before. “I know you’d never hurt me, Atlas.”
“You do?” I asked, my gruff voice higher pitched than usual. She really did a number on me, this woman.
“Of course I do.” She tightened her grip on my hand.
I leaned closer and kissed her, savoring her scent and the way her soft lips felt pressed against mine.
Tegan slid her tongue inside my mouth, and I groaned. “Fuck, Tegan. You are so fucking sexy.”
“Am. Not,” she said against my lips, alternating between speaking and kissing.
“Yes, yes, you are.” I grabbed her body and hoisted her onto mylap with ease. She faced me with her legs straddling my hips, and my cock throbbed against the heat of her pussy.
I growled against her neck as she rocked her hips against my erection. “Gonna fucking rut this pussy during the full moon.” The sharp tips of my teeth trailed across her pulse point and Tegan moaned. “You like it when I talk dirty, don’t you? Just like you enjoy a little bit of pain.”
“Uh-huh,” Tegan mumbled as I thrust my hips to meet hers.
“Such a good little slut for your big bad wolf.”
“Atlas, please,” she whined into the fur of my neck.
“Nah, baby. You gotta rest up. This pussy has to be ready to take me again and again during the full moon.”
