Hunter pulled back so he could study her. He reached up and gently rubbed his thumbs over her cheeks. “I want this, too. I want us. But you can take your time, Freja. I’m not going anywhere. I can wait for this to be right for you.”
Freja smiled. She knew right then, in her heart, that she was making the right decision. Even in this heated moment, he was putting her first. Yes, she wanted him to be her life partner.
“I can’t promise I’ll be everything you want me to be. But I’ll be yours, if you’ll be mine. I don’t need to wait. I don’t need to overanalyze this.” Freja leaned in and rested her forehead on Hunter’s. “I’ve been waiting for you, too. I’ve been looking for you my whole life. I just didn’t realize it. I’ve been searching for the person who was meant to fill my void and make me whole again. The person I could have a life with. I’m tired of being empty, Hunter. I don’t want to be lonely. I don’t want to run away from us.” A small tear trickled down her face.
Hunter brushed her tear away, kissed her forehead, and stood up, lifting her up with him, her legs wrapped around him for support. He walked her over to his bed and sat down, keeping her on his lap and holding her against his chest.
“You’re the one who’s filled my void, Freja. I can’t promise that I’ll be everything you want me to be, but I will be what you need me to be.” He leaned down and planted gentle kisses on her face. “Baby, are you sure? I don’t want to do anything you aren’t ready for. And I need to know now before there’s no turning back.” His eyes were dark with lust as he looked her over.
Freja lifted her head and looked into his shining silver eyes. “I want to be yours, Hunter.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“You’re so beautiful, Freja,” Hunter whispered against her lips. They had gone from making out to him hovering over her naked body. Her auburn hair spilled over the bed as her green emeralds shined up at him. She stared into his eyes with trust as he gazed into hers. He gently licked her bottom lip before tugging on it gently with his teeth, eliciting a sweet moan from her as he gently sucked on it. In smooth movements, he moved from her lips, trailing kisses to the crook of her neck, his tongue tickling and teasing along the path. He trailed his fingertips over her body, enjoying the sparks of the skin-on-skin contact from the mate bond. As his hand traveled over her side, she arched into his touch, wanting more from him. He pressed himself closer to her and let out a low, possessive growl when he licked his mark on her neck. He had rushed the mark the first time, but this time, he was going to change the memory of the mark. He was going to claim her again, with her permission.
"You want this, don't you, Freja?" Hunter murmured, his voice a low, seductive purr as he brushed himself against her, the heat of his desire pressing insistently against her inner thigh. He pulled back slightly, just enough to capture her gaze and read her response. Her eyes met his, and she nodded, her lips partingas she moistened them with a slow, sensual lick. With a satisfied hum, he leaned back in, his lips capturing hers in a deep, exploring kiss. He groaned softly, a sound of raw need, as she arched into him again, her movements an invitation that fueled the intensity of his desire. Trailing gentle, lingering kisses across her face, he returned to the curve of her neck where he nibbled and teased the skin, his tongue tracing over the mark he’d made when he had claimed her as his own. "I'm doing this right this time," he breathed against her neck, his voice a promise as he lapped at the mark again, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body.
His heart raced like a wild drum, threatening to leap from his chest as he struggled to maintain control. With a low, commanding growl that reverberated through the air, he sank his sharp fangs back into the tender flesh of his mark, thrusting his hips forward with a deliberate, powerful motion. He felt her body tense, a shiver coursing through her as a sweet, breathless moan slipped from her lips, like music to his ears. Her fingers clutched at his shoulders, her nails etching tiny crescents into his skin, a testament to her surrender.
He held this intimate position for a heartbeat, allowing his fangs to delve deeply into her, a primal connection forged in the heat of the moment. She arched against him, pressing herself closer, and he slowly withdrew his fangs from her neck, his tongue tracing over the fresh mark. His gaze was intense, predatory, and spoke volumes. He moved upward, his mouth descending upon hers with a passion that matched the rhythm of their bodies moving in unison.
Her fingers wove into his inky locks, tugging him closer, urging him onward. He anchored himself by gripping her shoulders, using them as leverage as the pace between them quickened, a frenzied dance of passion. Their shared moans acted as both encouragement and fuel, a testament to the fieryconnection that blazed between them. He sensed her tightening around him, her thighs beginning to quiver delicately with the tremors of her release. That exquisite sensation was all Hunter needed, driving him to keep thrusting, to synchronize their peaks, and he rode the crest of his own ecstasy alongside hers.
His lips found hers once more, but now they moved with tenderness, planting soft, loving kisses over her lips and across the bridge of her nose. He leaned back slightly, lifting himself from her, but then he pulled her back against his chest, holding her close as their hearts gradually slowed to a peaceful rhythm.
His arms embraced her in a cocoon as they both enjoyed the warmth of one another, their panting soon quieting down to slow breaths. He kissed the back of Freja’s head. Their bond was solidified, and she was fully connected as his queen and luna.
Freja felt the deeper connection with the pack. It was her pack now, too. Everything was completed between them now except for one thing. She rolled and laid her head on Hunter’s chest as she trailed her finger over his abs. “Hunter?”
“Mmm?” His fingers trailed over her arm tenderly.
“I plan to mark you. Not just as a werewolf, but it is also as a vampire. The thing is …” She lifted up on her elbow so she could look into his stormy eyes. “I’m not sure what that will mean. Because I am a vampire, that could change things for you. It could turn you into a tribrid, too, only a fairy one, and I’m not sure if that’s something we should mess with right now, since you’re still working on being the Werewolf King.”
Hunter listened to her thoughtfully, then raised his hand up and traced over her face as he looked into her beautiful green eyes. “If you’re my mate, then it must be meant to be. Whatever is supposed to happen from you marking me must be meant to happen. It’s why the Moon Goddess paired you up with me.” He listened to the quiet scoff from Freja’s lips when he mentioned the Moon Goddess. He could tell Freja still needed to warm upto the deity. He smiled and trailed his fingers over her features. “We can wait on you marking me, though, if you want to wait a bit until I get myself more under control.” He pulled her down into his chest and grinned as he held her naked body against him. “However, I’m on board with being marked whenever you think it’s time.”
Freja smiled and traced circles on his skin with her finger. She hadn’t expected to move this fast. The bond was just so powerful, she couldn’t escape it. Not that she wanted to. She was only with Hunter for a full day, or at least since she’d regained consciousness after being marked, and she already had feelings for him. The mate pull was doing its job. It made you feel like your mate was someone you’d always known. It made everything else come easier, including the feelings of love.
Not yet. She wasn’t there yet. But she knew where it was heading. She was being pulled down into it and blanketed in it. And for the first time in a long time, everything felt right.
“I heard you and Jin talking earlier about everything that had happened. About your lives after your parents were killed. Sorry. I know it wasn’t meant for my ears. But I feel like I also understand everything better. Like why you were trying to keep me at arm’s length, and why you’re afraid this isn’t going to work out.” Hunter’s baritone voice emitted gentle vibrations that Freja relaxed into. “I want you to know that you don’t have to worry. It’s okay to be happy and enjoy what’s happening now. We can enjoy this exciting new experience.”
Freja nodded into his chest, turning her nose slightly to take in his scent deeper. “I know. It was like everything clicked for me suddenly when we were … kissing earlier. And I just knew this was what I wanted.”
Hunter smiled and squeezed her into him. Their skin-to-skin contact was a comforting feeling. He needed her. She was the person he’d been searching for. She was the person he didn’tthink he would have after being betrayed by his first mate. And she was perfect. He would need a strong female by his side to reign with him. And she was strong, both mentally and physically. Maybe the goddess knew what she was doing after all. She paired him with a mate who would hurt him so he could relate to Freja more. He could appreciate her more, even though he’d only experienced an ounce of the hell she had been through.
“While you are in my room and bed, you don’t need clothes. However, I’m sure you don’t want to continue wearing poorly fitting clothing. Even though I love you wearing my shirts with my scent on them, I think you’ll need something more appropriate to wear for meeting the pack. Tomorrow, we’ll go shopping. Jin needs to pick up some more clothes, too.” He nuzzled his nose into her hair, getting whiffs of her intoxicating scent.
“Well, that will be interesting, being around so many people casually and not being there to slit anyone’s throat.” Freja smirked a bit. Usually, if she was in a crowd, it was because she was there to kill. She had avoided people and was always alone. There were a lot of things she needed to get comfortable with again.
“Yes, no slitting throats, please.” Hunter chuckled. His arms tugged her up a bit more so that her face was now level with his.
She sighed against his lips before he claimed her mouth again. His hand gripped the back of her head, possessive and demanding. She melted into his kiss, parting for him as his tongue swept inside, exploring, tasting, conquering every sensitive inch. Heat flooded through her as she surrendered to his control, craving his dominance, at least in bed.
A sharp breath escaped her as she reached up, fingers tangling in his hair and tugging hard. He groaned into her mouth, the vibration sending pleasure straight through her core.His other hand slid down to grip her ass, yanking her flush against the hard ridge of his arousal, now pressing into her belly.
"I don't think we're going to get much sleep tonight." His words ghosted across her swollen lips, each heated syllable making her pulse race and her thighs clench with need.
She gently licked his bottom lip, tasting the subtle sweetness of his skin. In response, he crashed back down onto her, their bodies entwined as another sensual wave of passion swept over them, igniting every nerve and setting their senses ablaze.
