“Move it down, through your core, past your stomach, to your legs, then push it out through your feet. Trust me, Rowan. You can do this.” My grip tightens, maybe too much, but if she flies apart, I’m going with her.
Her skin burns hotter under my hand, and dread scratches at my ribs until the water finally stirs. First a tremor, then a violent swirl, like the creek itself is responding to her. A cyclone shoots up, silver and wild, until the spray lashes out.
It’s an explosion of water that thrashes around, drenching us both, until the pressure breaks in a rush that knocks her back into my chest. We tumble onto the grass, her body limp but alive in my arms.
“Rowan.” My heart hammers loudly as I cradle her head, brushing wet strands of hair from her face. Her chest rises and falls, shallow but steady. “Rowan, open your eyes.”
A hum escapes her, soft and low, and her lashes flutter before she peers up at me with a dazed smile. Her eyes glow faintly silver, alive with power. “I’m not eager to do that again,” she whispers, voice roughened by exhaustion. “But holy shit.”
Relief cuts me open. Still, I press. “But you’re okay?”
“More than.” She pushes herself upright, her wet clothes plastered to her skin. “Once the pain stopped, it was exhilarating. The earth—it’s so vast. Wild, but steady. Like it doesn’t care what I am or what I’ll be. We just belonged together.”
The desire to kiss her has never been stronger. Her lips hover only inches away, parted just enough to torment me. I reach up, brushing more wet strands from her cheek, and my fingers linger, tracing the line of her jaw as though I have any right.
Her gaze locks on mine, and the exhilaration from moments ago shifts into something heavier—hotter. A hunger that coils low in my gut, matched only by the pulse thundering in my veins. My wolf prowls at the surface, restless, claws scraping as if daring me not to act.
“Rowan.” Her name rumbles out of me, half-warning, half-prayer.
She nods, the movement subtle, almost shy, but her darkening stare betrays her. It flicks down to my mouth,then she wets her lips, as if inviting me to claim what’s already mine.
So, that’s exactly what I do.
I can’t hold back anymore. Not when she’s my mate—the other half of my soul—and looking at me like I’m the only thing connecting her to this world. The tension snaps, and I surge forward, threading my fingers through her tangled hair as I crash my mouth against hers.
The kiss is a collision, fierce and unyielding, but the second her hands clutch at my shirt, I’m undone. I deepen it, tilting her chin so she has no escape, sliding my tongue between her lips to taste her fully. Sweetness and fire. Controlled and untamed.
A growl tears from my chest, vibrating between us, low and primal. She answers with a whimper that sears straight through me, spurring me closer until there’s no space left at all.
The world narrows to the heat of her mouth, the slick slide of her tongue against mine, and the way she clings to me is more encouragement than I expect to continue.
My wolf howls his triumph, pressing hard against my control.Mate. Claim her. Now.
I force the beast back because, as much as I want to, I won’t ruin this moment by giving in to raw instinct alone. Rowan deserves more than just hunger. She deserves all the best parts of me.
As I do my best to give her just that, I know that nothing has ever felt so right than holding her like this.
Her fingers twist tighter into my shirt, and when she arches into me, the last thread of my restraint nearly snaps. Every part of me screamsto give in—to let instinct take over and lay her down right here until the bond is sealed beyond question.
Our kiss turns hungrier, deeper, as if she’s breathing life into me and stealing mine in return. The heat of her lips, the rhythm of her body, the way she clings to me—it’s all-consuming. My wolf howls louder, once again testing the edges of my control.
I tear my mouth from hers with a ragged breath, my forehead pressing firm to hers. My chest heaves, lungs burning as if I’ve just run a battle gauntlet. She’s trembling, too, and when her eyes flutter open, I see the same storm inside her that’s ripping through me.
“Cade…” My name on her lips is a plea that I understand more than she knows.
I smooth my hand down the back of her head, forcing myself to steady even as every nerve in me riots for more. “If we keep going…” My voice is hoarse.
Her breath hitches, but her nod tells me all I need to know. Though the heat in her gaze doesn’t dim, she’s not ready for this to go any further, and I won’t have my mate regret any part of being with me.
Slowly and painfully, I pull back just enough to give her space. Her lips are swollen, cheeks flushed, and her eyes glow faintly in the moonlight. Gods help me, she’s never looked more tantalizing—or more mine.
The bond practically screams between us, alive and relentless, but I cage it down, burying my wolf’s innate desires.
Thank you, he tells me.We won’t hurt her, especially by losing control. She deserves more than hunger and instinct.
At least he’s finally seeing reason.
I press one last kiss to her forehead, lingering longer than I should. “How about we head back?”
