“That’s easy for you to say.You don’t know me.”
“No,” I correct gently, “but it is easy for me to feel.”
I reach out slowly, giving her time to pull back.When my fingers brush hers, she flinches and then stills.The bond blooms and warmth floods my chest, spreading outward, not sharp or overwhelming but deep and grounding.Her scent shifts, fear loosening its grip as something softer takes hold.
Desire.
Her eyes meet mine, dark and searching.“If we do this,” she says, voice barely steady, “it can’t be just because you think this is what you should do.You can’t claim me and then throw me away when shit gets hard or I scare you.I won’t survive that.”
I nod without hesitation.“It isn’t.”
I slide my hand over hers, palm to palm.Her skin is warm despite the morning chill, her grip tentative at first, then tightening like she’s afraid I’ll vanish.
“This is your choice,” I remind her.
She steps closer.The distance between us collapses, not in a rush, but in a slow, deliberate narrowing that feels like destiny finally aligning.When she presses her forehead to my chest, the bond settles fully, humming with quiet satisfaction.
“I don’t know how to belong,” she murmurs.
“You don’t have to,” I say, resting my chin lightly against her hair.“Just stay.We will learn how to do the rest together.I just need you to give me a chance.”
She exhales, long and shaky, and then she nods.We don’t kiss right away.We just stand there, breathing each other in, letting the bond stretch and settle, letting trust take its first fragile steps.When her hands slide up my chest, fingers curling into the fabric of my shirt, the touch is tentative but unmistakably intentional.
I tilt her chin up, giving her every chance to stop me but she doesn’t.
Our mouths meet softly at first, a brush of lips that feels more like a question than a claim.Her response is immediate, a quiet sound in the back of her throat, her body leaning into mine as if it’s been waiting for this moment longer than she knows.
The bond flares, bright and warm, flooding me with certainty.Arousal roars through my veins and I fight to remain in control.
I kiss her deeper, slow and thorough, letting her set the pace.She kisses like someone who’s starved for gentleness, for attention that doesn’t demand payment.My hands stay at her waist, firm but restrained.
When she pulls back, her eyes are blown wide, breath uneven.“I want this,” she says quickly, like she’s afraid the words might disappear if she doesn’t say them fast enough.“But I need to know I can stop.”
“You can,” I say without hesitation.“At any point.”
She studies my face, searching for cracks.Finding none, she nods once.
“Then take me somewhere private,” she says, voice steadier now.“Before I lose my nerve.”
I don’t smile.This isn’t a victory.It’s an exercise in trust.I take her to my cabin, not because it’s mine, but because it’s quiet and close.I open the door and let her step inside first.
She looks around briefly, taking in the simple space, the signs of a life lived without excess.“This feels ...normal,” she says softly, like normal isn’t normal.
“It is,” I reply.The door closes behind us with a soft click.
I don’t rush her.I don’t pin her to the wall or strip her clothes away like I want to.I guide her to the bed and sit, pulling her down with me only when she nods.We kiss each other softly, an exploration while we learn what we both like.My hands grasp her ass, pulling her covered sex against my erection.
A mewling sound falls from her lips and my wolf roars with pride.My lips move from hers to her neck and she tilts her head to the side to give me better access.My teeth ache with the need to bite her but I hold myself back.
“If we do this, it doesn’t make you owned,” I say quietly.“It doesn’t trap you.”
She reaches up, cupping my face.“It makes me chosen.”
The bond surges, rich and full, and something in my chest finally, finally settles.
My heart is beating a mile a minute as I lift her shirt over her head.She isn’t wearing a bra and my mouth waters when her breasts are bared to me.Soft pink nipples peak in the cool air and I dip my head to suck on one.She makes a mewling sound, and I swear my control all but snaps.
I lift her off my lap and turn until she is flat on the bed and I am hovering above her.My erection digs into her stomach through my jeans and I swear I might come in my fucking pants.
