We stayed like that for a long time, locked together, breathing hard, his legs wrapped around my waist, his hips rolled back so I could stay buried in him, down to the hilt.
Then I felt it. The stirring of arousal, already building again.
Reed must have felt it too, because he laughed shakily. “Give me a minute to catch my breath.”
I thought about pulling out, but he put his hands on my chest, settling more firmly onto me.
“Don’t,” he said, his eyes meeting mine. They were dark again, human. “Stay. I want to feel you.”
So I did.
I stayed buried inside him while we kissed, slow and sweet, until I was fully hard again. Until he was hard again, too, despite having just come.
“Wolf bodies work a little differently,” Reed said with a small smile, answering my unspoken question. “We recover faster.”
“Good to know,” I murmured against his lips.
This time, when we moved, it was slower. Gentler. I settled him onto his back and pulled almost all the way out before pushing back in with aching care.
Reed made soft sounds of pleasure, clinging to me, his hands human again.
We made love like that for what felt like hours. Face to face, our eyes locked, our bodies moving together in perfect sync. I worshipped him with every thrust, and he gave himself over to me completely.
When we came the second time, it was together, the bond between us blazing so brightly I could almost see it—a magic that belonged to just us.
Afterward, I collapsed beside him, pulling him into my arms. His head rested on my chest, and I could feel his heartbeat against my ribs, strong and steady.
“I love you,” I murmured into his hair.
“I love you, too,” Reed said. He was quiet for a moment, then added, “It’s morning. We’re going to need to gather the pack. Debrief everyone. Make sure they know we’re okay.”
I felt a smile tug at my lips. “Always thinking about the pack. They’re—we’relucky to have you.”
“I’m the alpha,” he said simply. But there was no weight to it anymore. No fear.
“The only reason we were able to defeat the Algea…” I hesitated. How would Reed swallow this? “Was because you trusted me. If you hadn’t held it steady and trusted me to finish the job, we might both be dead.”
Reed lifted his head to look at me, a grin spreading across his face. “Come on, Harris. It was hardnotto trust you. You seemed like you had a plan. Plus, you had a machete and stuff.” But then he paused, his expression growing more serious. “And it seems you have the powers of an alpha now. That’s not exactly an everyday occurrence. Two alphas in the same pack isn’t a thing. That’s not how any of this works.”
The words hung between us. As perfect as this moment was, I still felt uncertain. Because what did this mean for us? For the pack?
“How?” I asked. “How is this even possible?”
Reed propped himself up on one elbow, his expression turning thoughtful. “If you ask me, it’s the mate bond. It binds us in ways that go beyond emotion or thought. It’s a magical connection tethering us together, kind of how the pack is bound together.”
“Sure, but—”
“Hell, you channeled my power even when you were ahuman. The alpha compulsion at Emma’s cabin. That’s even weirder—you weren’t a wolf yet. It has to be the bond.” He paused, studying me. “It’s not so surprising that now, as a wolf, you have full access to the power.”
I couldn’t help but notice he didn’t sayyou have full access to my power. The lack of a possessive was hard to miss.
I locked eyes with him. “You’re okay with this?”
“I’ve learned it’s not such a bad thing to let others in,” Reed said firmly. “It’s anunprecedentedthing, not abadone.” Then he shrugged. “I’m sure Emma will know more. Or maybe Sarah and Daniel can dig up records of something like this happening. We ought to know more about what the mate bond is capable of.”
“And this hasn’t happened before? With other fated mates?”
Reed’s lips curved into a soft smile. “No. Never. Or, at least, not that I’m aware of. It’s been a long time since anyone in our pack has found their fated mate.” He chuckled. “I guess you’re one of a kind, detective.”
