After catching my breath, I slip my fingers from Madi’s mouth and press my wrist to her forehead.She’s still a little warm, but she’s not feverish anymore. As the sweat dries, she shivers. I wrap myself around her, holding her tight.
I really shouldn’t have knotted her. She feels too good. I don’t think my cock is ever going to calm down.
“I feel you,” Madi whispers. “You’re so… safe. Like an anchor in a storm.” Her sigh is happy and content. There’s no discontent anywhere in the bond, and it eases some of my fear.
Her feelings shine through the bond so clear and perfect. One dominating all the rest.
“I love you, too, omega.” I kiss her cheek, and she nuzzles against me, scent marking me. I purr.
There’s a noise from somewhere, distant, and it’s a reminder that we’re not as alone as it seems. The shock makes my knot deflate just enough to slide out of her.
I ease her down to her feet, and she frowns.
“I don’t want to let you go either, sweetheart. But we have to get back to the rest of our pack.”
For the first time, I sense Caspian. Our connection is weaker than my connection with Madi, but strong enough for me to sense his worry. We didn’t tell them where we were going before we slipped away. I send a pulse of reassurance through the bond, letting him know we’re okay.
I help Madi back into her bikini bottoms and shorts, part of me loving how heavily she smells of me as my cum drips down her thighs. The other part of me wishes I could clean her up so no one will know what we did. My primal instincts win out, and I scoop our combined release from her skin, pushing it back inside her swollen pussy before smirking and pulling her clothing up the rest of the way.
Once her shorts are on, I kiss my way up her stomach and lick my bond mark just long enough to stop the bleeding.Madi moans and then grabs my hair and squeezes as she shakes so hard she almost loses her balance.
“Did you just come again? Just from that?” I look up at her with awe.
She bites her bottom lip and nods.
Damn, she’s incredible. I kiss my bond mark one more time, then pick up her shirt as I stand. Once she’s dressed, I kiss her forehead. “Thank you, Madison Grant. Even if we have to keep it secret for a while and this isn’t how I planned things to go, you just gave me the greatest gift I’ve ever received.” I claim her lips in a tender kiss. “I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you’ve made me.”
“You already do.” She smiles up at me with such innocent adoration it makes my heart hurt. I want to fall to my knees and worship her all over again.
“I love you, Hunter Anderson.” She gives me a peck on the cheek and then a devilish smile. “Now, let’s go find our mates and put Pack Prescott in their place.”
Damn, I love this woman.
46
Idon’t know that I’ve ever been so happy in my life. I just bonded Hunter Anderson. Dr. Anderson.Dean Anderson.And damn, the man canfuck. It was just as good as I dreamed it would be.
As he leads me back, we pass shelf after shelf of little discs, each labeled with symbols I don’t understand. And then, I spot one with the same symbol that Caspian has on his palms. He told me it was his royal sigils.
Acting solely on instinct, I grab every disc on that shelf and shove them into my dry bag. I want a closer look at these, but we can’t stay here any longer. Not tonight. We’re all exhausted. I shouldn’t take something from what will be an active excavation like this, but I feel protective over anything that might be related to Caspian.
Hunter watches me, but doesn’t say anything. He just takes my hand and gives it a little squeeze. Maybe he feels the same way about protecting my other alpha.
As soon as we step out of the shadows, Caspian and Phoenix rush toward us. Phoenix holds back, but my blue-haired mate grins and sweeps me into his arms. He acts as if I’ve been gone for hours instead of a few minutes.
Once my feet are back on the ground, Caspian turns to Hunter with a shark’s smile. “I already welcomed you to the pack, so I will only say… what is it you humans say… ah, yes,I told you so.”
Hunter laughs, then surprises us all by grabbing Caspian by the back of the neck and kissing him hard. I clear my throat and fan myself. If they keep that up, I’m gonna have another heat spike.
Thankfully—or unthankfully—Branson chooses that moment to walk over and join us. He’s looking less pale, but the t-shirt wrapped around his shoulder is soaked in blood. He needs medical attention and probably stitches. Carter supports him on his uninjured side while Rodrick stays a step behind, like he’s poised to catch Branson if he falls. For all their faults, they were always good at looking out for each other.
Branson looks between Hunter and Caspian with a frown, then turns all his attention on me, giving me a curious look I can’t quite interpret. The expression lasts only a moment before he sighs, shoulders slumping in something like defeat.
“You saved my life.” His expression is softer than I’ve seen in a long time.
I shrug, trying to dismiss what I did. “You saved mine first.”
We stare at each other for a few seconds without either of us saying anything. Branson is a self-centered asshole, but for a moment, I can almost believe that what we shared was real, that maybe he does care about me in his own messed-up, narcissistic way.
