“That's not necessary,” I tell her as I shake my head, my lips curving with a mischievous smile. “I guess it's time for him to meet his grandparents. I'll ask Mom to get him from Brynta's.”
Arianna's face pales. “Oh, my Goddess! Isn't it too soon?”
Chuckling, I press a playful kiss to her lips. “You should have seen how excited they were to find out they had a grandson. That's all they've been pressuring me about since I stepped in as alpha, but it's not for the reasons I thought. They just want me to be happy.”
Arianna nods thoughtfully. “Are you happy?”
“I am…but there's something that'll make me even happier. I have a feeling it'll make you happy, too.”
Arianna's brows furrow as I take her hand and lead her out of the hall. “Are we going to your parents’ house?”
“Nope,” I responded with a lighthearted chuckle. “I just sent Mom a mind link about Noah. You and I are going home. There's something I need to do.”
Arianna purses her lips as she quietly follows me, her tanned cheeks filling with a soft shade of pink.
I know what she's thinking, but I'm about to prove to her that it isn't just sex I want from her.
It's everything.Sheis everything I want.
Chapter 25 - Arianna
Everything about tonight feels like a fever dream, and I can hardly wrap my head around the things Tyler said in the hall.
I didn't realize how much I just needed to hear him say those words—to apologize for his mistakes and acknowledge that he was wrong—for me to recognize that my hatred for him was only ever as strong as my love is for him.
Because truthfully, I've always loved Tyler, since that night we met in the graveyard, even before I discovered that we were true, fated mates. My anger was justified, even if my love didn't make sense back then.
Now, I'm sure about my feelings for him, having witnessed the way he supports me about being part witch, and how much he cares about Noah. He was right—back then, he was a boy, and now he's a man.
A man who makes my heart flutter as he leads me into the house, my heartbeat pounding with anticipation for what he wants to do. The sexual tension between us is escalating when he closes the door and turns to me with hooded eyes, glossed over with heady desire.
“I should have done this a long time ago…” he drawls in a raspy tone as he steps forward, one hand intertwining with mine, the other sliding along my neck to sweep my hair aside. I tilt my head to the side in a natural response to his touch, my breath coming out slowly as I anticipate what comes next as he leans in.
He's already declared his love for me and his acceptance of our true mate bond, and there's only one thing left to do. My ears drum with the sound of my beating heart, each beat slowingdown as I remove all thoughts from my head and become fully present to bask in this moment in which the alpha will claim me as his.
The last thought that leaves my mind is that he isn't just the alpha, but he's Tyler—the man I'd fallen madly in love with years ago. My lips curl into a smile of utter relief as my mind becomes empty, at last, not haunted by dangers or overthinking and overanalyzing every move I make. All I can focus on is his hot breath fanning my collarbones as he leans in.
“Wait.”
I'm abruptly jolted from the daze when Tyler suddenly pulls back, shocking me, my heart sinking with dread.
“What—”
Tyler cuts me off with a nervous chuckle before saying, “I can't do this now. Not like this. It should be special. It's what you deserve and so much more. I haven't prepared anything, and—”
Groaning with frustration, I grab his face and stare at him with wide eyes. “Just. Do. It. I've waited five years for this, I'm not waiting a second longer.”
Amusement flashes in Tyler's eyes as he chuckles. “I don't wanna wait, either.”
Instead of returning to my neck, Tyler takes my hand and leads me to his bedroom, turning the lights to a dim setting that covers the room with a soft, golden glow. He proceeds to lead me to the bed, the energy around us calm as he sweeps my hair back and leans in.
A majestic slice echoes through the room as his canines distend from his mouth, sharp and pearly white as he leans in. Holding my breath, I feel the first press of the tips against the flesh around my scent gland, my body reacting to the marking bysoftening, arousal pooling between my thighs. The air becomes warm as he pierces through the flesh to mark me, claiming me as his mate in the most primal way any wolf can.
I let out the breath I'd been holding as soon as his teeth retracted, his tongue gently circling the marks he'd left on my neck. When he pulls back, his eyes are dark pits of primal desire that lure me in like a predator who just seduced its prey, and I willingly give myself up to him, crushing my lips to his.
The kiss is feverish, our tongues battling it out for dominance as they dance, our hands gripping fistfuls of each other's clothes and ripping through material in a desperate attempt to feel skin on skin. One moment I'm on my feet, the next, I'm straddling his lap, feeling his hot, throbbing length nestled against my folds as he runs his fingertips down the length of my spine.
“You're the most beautiful creature I've ever laid eyes on…” he breathes, staring into my eyes and meeting my soul.
