“You were drunk.” Yes she was giving him a get out of jail free card, but she was tired of fighting him, or thinking about the events that had divided them for so long. “I thought you might fall flat on your face.”
“That’s true but it doesn’t matter. I’m not that man anymore. I’m not going back to an empty bed, thinking about you, wishing you were right there in my arms.”
“This isn’t just about us.” Goddess, she hated admitting that. She wanted him so much she was almost tempted to say to hell with the rest of the world. He glided back into her, the thickness of his cock nudging her G-spot. “We have to think about everyone else.” She couldn’t believe she could formulate words, not with the fire building in her belly. “Maybe Diskant’s right.”
“No, he’s not.” Rubbing his cheek against hers, he asked, “Do you know why?”
She shook her head, biting down softly on her lip.
“We’re at war, Sadie.” He increased the pace, pumping his length in and out of her pussy. She rocked back, meeting his thrusts. “Our enemies will return. We’ll have to face them head-on. I’ve seen what you can do. I know what you’re capable of. You can protect the pack in a way I can’t. You can give them a gift beyond measure. If you show them that—if you pledge your loyalty to them and to me—they’ll have no choice but to accept our mating. Diskant will back my decision. They’ll trust his judgment. They might not like it at first but they’re not stupid. They know the danger we’re in. They know what’ll happen if we’re not stronger than the people who want to kill us. And they know just how much Diskant stands to lose if he’s wrong.”
“I won’t let you hurt me again.” She made sure he saw the warning in her gaze, making her intentions clear. He had to know she wouldn’t stand for any more bullshit. “If you want this, you need to know I’m not running. If I fight for you, you’ll have to fight for me too. And your protection has to be extended to Leigh. You’ll have to give me your word you won’t let anything happen to her.”
He stopped, his cock buried inside her. Letting go of the counter, she rested her fingers over the hand he’d placed on her hip. His fingers tightened over her flesh, his grip firm.
“I give you my word. Accept my mark. Stand beside me when I face the pack.”
Uncertainty and a healthy dose of fear almost destroyed the intimacy—almost. She pushed the emotions aside, reckless and tired of hiding how she felt because she was terrified of the unknown. Once he gave her his mark, he couldn’t turn her away. She knew enough about shifters to recognize the mark carried weight. The pack would loathe her for having it but she didn’t give a shit. She was a vampire without a coven, a woman without a place to call home. In the last day she’d learned those she thought she could trust were far more dangerous than a man who’d done something foolish in the heat of the moment.
Give him what he wants.
Take what he’s offering.
She released his hand and reached for her hair, moving it away from throat. He eased back, giving her room. Once she’d tucked the heavy locks over her other shoulder she reached for him. Wrapping her fingers around his nape, she guided his mouth to her neck. He lifted his hand from her hip and pulled her shirt clear, giving him plenty of room to sink his teeth into her skin.
Giving herself over, she whispered the spell that would slow her rate of healing.
It wouldn’t last forever—no more than an hour—but he didn’t need that long.
She didn’t turn away, focusing on the canines in his mouth that elongated and broadened. A rush of magic swept through her, sending a small wave of heat over her skin. In an instant she felt the difference. He felt larger inside her, his presence more formidable. She remained an immortal but she was weaker like this, nowhere near as strong.
“There’s no going back,” she whispered, voice quaking. “You’ll never be rid of me.”
“Good,” he growled, irises brightening near his pupils. “That’s exactly what I want.”
Angling his head, he got in position.
Then he dipped his head and sank his teeth into her flesh.
He was an asshole, biting harder than necessary. Her blood coated his tongue. Metallic, warm and sweet. He chose the slope of her neck, where the delicate arch of her throat met the sleekness of her shoulder. Unless she wore a shirt that covered the area, everyone would see the mark on her skin. That’s what he wanted. Everyone would know the mating had taken place, he’d given her his brand and she’d accepted it.
Up until then he’d been excruciatingly gentle, taking his time as he fucked her, trying to convey how much she meant to him. One day soon he was going to take it further, making love to her as she deserved. The wolf, however, had other ideas. The damn thing roared in victory the instant Sadie moved her hair free of her neck. It rode him hard, wanting to own every single inch of her inside and out. He plunged into her pussy, groaning as her cunt clasped his cock.
He knew then he’d almost lost the only chance of happiness and fulfillment he’d have ever known. The connection he’d felt the first time they’d come together returned. His beast basked in the feeling, reaching out to its mate. Trey kept up the pace, slamming into her slick heat. She bowed her back to allow him to penetrate deeper, keeping her neck bared to him.
Peering up, he took in the beauty of her face.
Her eyes had drifted closed, her long lashes fanning her cheeks. Her skin had taken a rosy hue, her tiny fangs peeking out from her parted lips. She rocked with each plunge of his hips, taking every inch of his cock, her breasts bobbing with the motion. She was wet and tight, her pussy latching on to him like a fisting second skin. Releasing her shirt, he lowered his hand, skimming his fingers down her stomach and stopping when the tips rested just over her mound. Finding her swollen clit, he rubbed his middle finger over the hard little bead.
He wanted them to come together, gaining the release they both needed at the same time. Her vaginal walls gripped him and he heard her sharp intake of breath. Using pressure, he worked the hard nub with his finger and increased the intensity of his thrusts. Her hair swayed, sliding free of her shoulder. Snaking his other arm around her waist, he slammed into her.
He was so close, teetering on the edge.
His sac drew taut, a heavy tingle building at the base of his spine.
Come for me, darlin’. Come for me.
Moving his hand from her hip, he offered her his wrist. She wound her fingers around his forearm, her lips whispering over his skin. He knew the minute she slid her fangs into his skin he’d lose any control he had over his body. He trapped her clit between his thumb and fingers, pinching softly as he manipulated the bundle of nerves. Her pussy clenched so tight he had to slam his eyes closed and concentrate, determined not to climax before she did.
His best efforts weren’t worth shit, not when her tiny teeth scored his skin.
He came so hard he saw spots, tiny speckles clouding his vision. Sadie moaned, the sound muffled as she drank. His knees nearly buckled when her cunt squeezed down on his cock, milking him as Sadie found her release right along with him. She didn’t take as much she had before, gently drawing on his skin. He kept up the pace, encouraged by the wolf inside him. The animal had finally gained the ultimate satisfaction, claiming the woman destined for it.
She pulled her fangs from his wrist and flicked her tongue over the punctures, slowly nursing the wounds. He slowed his thrusts, cautious as he unclenched his jaw and eased his teeth from her shoulder. Immediately his eyes swept down, his attention focused on the evidence of his bite. Her skin hadn’t mended—two ragged tears along with smaller breaks in her pale flesh—but the bleeding was minimal.