Moving wasn’t a problem. Amy lifted just far enough to tease before sinking, pressing him as deep as possible. Evan’s head fell back as she enjoyed the decadent sensation.
Suddenly slow wasn’t enough, and simply speeding up wasn’t going to cut it either. Amy pressed her hands on his shoulders, attempting to turn up the pressure even as she luxuriated in the wonderful pleasures enveloping her body.
Evan curled an arm around her back, bringing their torsos in line so that on every move they brushed. His lips pressed against her neck, sucking and biting, and the tension inside rose again in spite of her earlier orgasms.
He rolled them, dropping her to the mattress. He hooked his arms under her thighs and opened her wide. Then he leaned over and rocketed forward. Thrusting deep and hard. Demanding, and controlling.
Amy reached over her head, fingers clutching the quilt as she attempted to keep his name from bursting from her lips. She found herself holding the hard plastic of the remote, and as she tossed it aside she bumped the control button.
The music started again, a heavy drumbeat shaking the walls. Evan matched the music’s tempo, as if following a ritual seasonal dance. He slipped a hand between them and rubbed in exactly the right spot, and Amy lost it. She screamed, the sound turning into another of the musical accents, and Evan shook. He buried himself deep, hips jerking as his release exploded from him.
The entire time he never stopped watching. Never took his eyes off her. It was too much, and as she shook under him, Amy closed her eyes to focus only on the pleasure flowing through her veins.
He wrapped her arms around his back and rolled her on top. She couldn’t resist licking his neck, tasting the salt lingering on his skin and the passion of his wild wolf.
They lay in a heated tangle for the longest time. Evan stroking her cheek, Amy drawing circles on his chest with her nails. Somewhere in the silence they were connected, and neither of them seemed ready to break the tenuous bond.
It wasn’t forever, but it had been pretty spectacular just the same.
Chapter Thirteen
Around three a.m. Amy woke, her heart pounding madly. The room was pitch black, silence surrounding her.
The warm body at her side was unexpected, but perfect. Evan had refused to give her any space in the enormous bed, and even now was plastered against her back. He had one arm curled around her stomach, his hand casually pressed against her breast. Between the two of them the temperature was hotter than a volcano, and they’d tossed the quilts to the foot of the bed sometime in the last couple hours.
She stared into the darkness and tried to rearrange her plans. She wasn’t about to complain regarding the sex—she was no idiot—but how did this all fit in to her familiar reality?
People left. Whether they died or disappeared, it made no difference. The end result was the same, and there was no way she wanted to have to rebuild her life again. Once was enough.
His first focus might be her saving grace. Keeping their focus on the packs was the only way she could survive. Pack would never abandon her, because she would never abandon them. Concern for their well-being was always there. Her first thought, and her last, every single day.
Evan’s nose rubbed the side of her neck, and she fought the urge to roll to face him. He was dangerous, far more now than she had ever expected.
Still, she couldn’t resist laying her hand over his, gently stroking his fingers and up his forearm as he breathed at a steady pace behind her.
He seemed mighty content. The two sides of her psyche battled—between the part that was pleased she had such a profound effect on him, and the part that still wanted to kick out his knees.
She might have lain there for an hour thinking before his breathing sped up. Otherwise he didn’t move, but his heart rate increased, and small twitches shivered his skin. Another low rumble started in his chest, but not like when they’d been playing, or when he was sexually aroused. This seemed more frantic. As if an edge of fear had crept over him.
This time she did roll, examining his face. His eyes were closed, but his eyelids moved rapidly.
He was having a bad dream. Something horrible enough to cause him to shake, and his arms to tighten around her. Still gentle enough he wasn’t hurting her, but Amy placed a warning hand against his chest.
Beneath her palm his heart fluttered wildly.
And then as quickly as it had begun, everything went back to normal. Except he moved them slightly, tangling his legs between hers and pinning her to the mattress. His groin tight to her hip, an arm across her chest and his face buried in her neck.
So much for sneaking out of bed.
Amy matched her breathing to his. She cautiously stroked his hair off his face. There was just enough light for her wolf-enhanced eyes to admire his strong jawline and his long lashes where they rested against his cheeks.
She didn’t want to feel for this man, but it seemed nearly impossible to hold back her longing for their mating to be real. Forever. The only thing she knew for sure was to enjoy the sexual side and guard her heart as much she could.
Even while falling asleep, she sensed her wolf’s agitation at her decision.
Morning light brought no new changes. Other than Evan had finally rolled away, giving her enough room to sneak off the bed and into the bathroom. It was only five thirty, but she rarely needed that much sleep. She washed and dressed.
The entire time Evan slept, sprawled across her mattress. One arm flung over his eyes in a position of absolute relaxation and trust.
She left the television and computer off for once, grabbing a quick bite before leaving the note on the counter for him along with her spare key.
She hoped he didn’t read anything too big into that gesture.
Stopping in the park was as natural as breathing, but she wasn’t sure if today’s pause was for her sake, or for the others. And when Matthias turned up again, Amy soaked in his comfort.
Preparing her old friend for the coming storm.
“I found my mate,” she announced, testing the words.
They felt strange.
Matthias sat with his haunches on the grass, his head resting peacefully on her thigh.
“We’re still dealing with a few things. It’s not as simple as I hoped. But trust me, I’ll take care of your pack, no matter what.”
The old Alpha butted his head against her hand.
“You’re right. My pack.” She nodded. “Remember I told you I planned to join Canyon and Takhini? It’s going to start soon. Not sure how—all my plans are kind of up in the air, but it’ll work out,” she promised.
And somewhere in that promise to him, she found hope. She could do this. No matter how much effort it took, she would make a way for her people to stay safe and have a home.
Matthias put his paws on the bench on either side of her legs, lifting his grey head until their eyes were level. He tilted his chin to one side, examining her for the longest time before nodding.
She waited until he’d returned to the trees before she left the bench.
Things were pretty chaotic at the shop considering she’d only been gone for a day. She didn’t blame her staff for panicking when Evan had surprised them, but there was no reason they shouldn’t have been able to pull it together and stock the shelves like they usually did on Sundays.
Amy spent two hours on the floor before the shop doors opened, stocking shelves and cleaning up. The work soothed her. Simple enough she didn’t need to make any decisions, but detailed enough she had to concentrate.
“Sam? What are you doing here?” Tom stepped from behind the counter. “It’s okay. I can take over,” he offered.