But there’s one thing left that I’ve been waiting for. It doesn’t make sense, but ever since telling me to wait to complete our bond after he rescued me from Brett, he hasn’t mentioned it once. And now that I know he was close to literally losing his mind because of not claiming me, it’s hard to understand why he still hasn’t initiated it.
The symptoms of his moon madness are all but resolved, even without the bond being completed. Proximity to me—and all the incredible sex we’ve been having—has ensured his wolf is sated. But until we claim each other, there is the risk of a resurgence if his wolf feels like there’s any threat or risk to our connection.
Old anxieties pop up as I’m waved in by Jackson, who is on border patrol. A young mother made a comment a couple of days ago, wondering aloud if we would have pups, cubs, or both. It’s not her fault that the comment gutted me. She doesn’t know there’s no possibility of either. Ryan had changed the subject, quickly moving things along until we were home again. Where he promised me that I was all he needed.
But what if that’s why he hasn’t claimed me yet? I need to talk to him tonight. The time spent alone driving has given me the space to process, and I can’t let this go on any longer. Communication and trust are the keys to a healthy relationship, and while a lot about our relationship is different from human ones, some things are universal.
The smell of the forest hits, grounding me as soon as I step out of the car after parking it at the pack house. It’s followed by Ryan’s crisp citrus and amber scent as he emerges from the woods, walking toward me with powerful strides. He’s so handsome. Even now, months after first meeting him, he still takes my breath away. The way his eyes glow with want whenever he looks at me, the way the top of his hair curls in such an unruly manner no matter how hard he tries to tame it, his angular jaw and muscular form, so much larger than my body.
“Miss me?” he asks, cupping my face and pressing his lips to mine before I have a chance to answer.
I melt into him, reveling in the tingles that flow from where we connect. When he pulls back, my lips follow, magnetically drawn to him. I wrap my arms around his shoulders and drag him back to me.
He smiles before returning my kiss, as he always does when I initiate affection between us. Like it still surprises him how much I desire him. Or how much I love him and want to be with him. But still, he pulls away from me, ending the kiss again before I’m ready.
Ryan steps back, his eyes tracking from my face down to my body and stopping at my feet. He scoops me up in a bridal carry. “As much as I’ve always loved those fuck-me-heels, they are very impractical for the forest.”
“Well, I guess I’m going to have to keep you around to carry me then, aren’t I?”
“Like I’d ever give you a choice,” he says, nipping at my bottom lip and sending a jolt of need straight to my clit.
Now would be a good time to bring up the claim, but these woods have too many ears, and that’s a conversation best had in private. Maybe this weekend when we go back to the city for a night at Sanctum Obscura before visiting my family for Sunday lunch.
Ryan walks home with me in his arms, chatting about our days. He tells me about how he is settling into his role as an elder—which I now know has nothing to do with age and everything to do with knowledge. He’s been helping Jackson out with training. I had expected it to be more difficult for him, but between the hands-on roles he is filling, as well as continuing to manage the pack’s investments and spending time with friends and family, he seems to be so much more settled in himself. He’s more than happy not to step back into being Alpha.
He sets me down on my feet as we arrive home to our cabin. “Close your eyes, Kitten. I have a surprise for you.”
“You know I hate surprises.”
“I think you’ll make an exception for this one. Now are you closing your eyes, or am I going to have to blindfold you?”
“Fine,” I say, huffing out a breath before squeezing my eyes shut. Ryan takes my hand and leads me forward. I hear the door opening before he guides me through it. The house smells different, but I’m not sure in what way. Nerves skitter up my spine as I try to guess what is going on. I could open my eyes, but I don’t want to take away whatever he has planned. Ryan’s hands land on my hips as he positions me exactly where he wants me, and then I hear him step back.
Goosebumps trail up arms as soon as he isn’t touching me. Like I need his presence to not feel cold. I bow my head forward, a submissive gesture that I trust him.
“Open your eyes, Kitten.”
I breathe in and exhale slowly before raising my head and taking in the image before me. Hundreds of candles illuminate the space, and in the center of them, Ryan is down on one knee. A black velvet box sits in his hand, which he opens to reveal a delicate solitaire diamond ring with a gold band.
“You grew up outside of shifter customs, so I wanted to do this right by both parts of you,” he says, his voice trembling ever so slightly. “I didn’t want to rush into something that is a lifetime commitment, not for me, but for you. Because I knew you were mine as soon as my wolf first inhaled your scent. Even before that, you were the first person to challenge me and make me want to believe in a future. You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Your intelligence and strength know no bounds. You are everything to me, Maya. Will you make me the happiest shifter in the world and agree to marry me and accept my mark?”
Tears stream down my face as his words come tumbling out, telling me everything I need to know. Settling every anxious part of me and making me feel loved and wanted. I want to throw myself at him, fall onto the floor, and make our claims right now. But instead, I simply choke out a yes and let him stand and pull me into his embrace.
He wipes away my tears with his thumbs and kisses me, a firm press of his lips against mine that promises this is only the start.
“I don’t want to wait any longer. Mark me as yours, please?” I beg, pulling away from his kiss. Ryan smiles at me, his joy painted across every part of his face. His eyes darken before turning the gold of his wolf. He wraps his arms around my thighs and carries me to our bedroom.
“You have ten seconds to be naked or I’m tearing off what’s left,” he growls when he deposits me on the floor before the bed. His wolf is close to the surface, and his eyes gleam as I yank my dress over my head and unhook my bra.
“Too late,” Ryan snarls as he tears my lace panties down the front. He tosses the remaining shreds to the side. He lifts me effortlessly and throws me onto the bed. Before I know what’s happening, his mouth is on me. Feverishly hot and frantic, he sucks and licks at my pussy. Then he pushes my legs further apart before pressing two fingers inside me.
“This fucking cunt,” he mutters before sucking my clit. Stars erupt behind my eyes, and I cry out as my orgasm tears through me. “See how good you taste,” he says, moving up my body andkissing me hard. His tongue battles with mine, filling my mouth with my own taste and leaving me dizzy and breathless.
“Please, I need you,” I moan. “I need your cock. I need your mark.”
Ryan pushes into me with a single hard thrust, one arm holding himself up above me while the other hooks behind my knee and spreads my legs further apart. He fucks into me in fast, unyielding thrusts. The sounds of my moans as my orgasm builds and the creaking of the bed under the pressure of Ryan’s relentless fucking fill the otherwise silent room.
“Say it,” he grits out, and I know exactly what he’s looking for.
