Chapter 8
The silence that remained when Decker left the room was awkward as hell. What the hell had Decker thought he was doing—kissing Adriana like that? Granted, he and Decker hadn’t settled anything earlier, but that didn’t give Decker the right to make a verbal claim on Adriana. If he thought that just because he had more muscles than Greg that he was the obvious choice, Greg would have to set him straight.
“I have to say that kiss took me by surprise. I wish it had seemed more surprising to you.”
“It wasn’t surprising in the least. Earlier we had…”
“I’m aware. Neither of you tried to hide it, and his scent is all over you. In you, as well, I suspect,” Greg said with a sneer he regretted the moment it left his mouth.
He didn’t regret it just because it wasn’t fair or kind, but Adriana packed a wallop when her palm connected with his face.
“Would you rather I snuck around and led you to believe you were the only one who could help little ole me?” she simpered the last bit.
“Of course not.”
“Good, because I won’t. This isn’t going to be easy. Of all of this, I suspect Decker will have the most difficult time with it.”
“Decker? Why Decker? He’s already been intimate with you.”
“Intimate? Is that a medical term you doctors like to use? Decker and I fucked in Colby’s office on Colby’s desk.”
“With Colby in the room?” asked Greg.
This time she didn’t slap his face, she chucked him upside the head. “Don’t be daft. I may be involved in some kind of weird menage thing, but I’m not into exhibitionism.”
Greg shook his head. “Yeah. You’re right, at least about whatever this thing is that we all seem to be involved with. I’m not sure I agree about Decker having it harder than me.”
“Trust me, he was plenty hard.”
Greg looked up to see her grinning at him. “Brat,” he chuckled.
“Look, Decker is an alpha, a warrior, the captain of the freaking guard. Alphas are not known for the ability to share well with others.”
“Perhaps Decker doesn’t think he’ll have to share…”
“I don’t think so. I think he felt my connection to you, and I was pretty clear about my vision. Eoghan is coming for me. And whether Decker likes it or not, we’re going to need to work together to defeat him.”
“Did you sense anything different about Eoghan when you were with him?”
“No, but then I never saw him shift, which I thought was odd. There is a legend about a race of wolves larger, faster, and stronger than most species, and yet not the size of the dire wolves. I have to tell you, in my vision you were about the size of most male wolves I’ve seen; Decker was slightly larger, but Eoghan was larger still. And this wound isn’t healing properly.”
Greg brushed her hair aside and peered at it, her skin warm against his fingertips. “Maybe it’s deeper, or the virus it inflicts more toxic.” He turned back to the cupboard and pulled out a small scalpel and sample container. “I’m going to take a little scraping…”
“I am not your science experiment. I don’t like needles or anything with a sharp edge to cut something off me.”
“You are not my experiment, but even you admit this isn’t normal. The blade is sharp enough that if you feel it at all, it will just be a little prick.” Before she could object again, he’d sterilized the wound and taken what he needed. He pressed a sterile bandage against it to stop the bleeding. “That wasn’t too bad, was it?”
“No, but I don’t appreciate you doing that without my permission.”
Greg laughed. “Sweetheart, you have a lot to learn about being a she-wolf. Asking permission isn’t big with male wolves.”
“Best keep in mind I was a witch long before I was a she-wolf.”
“True enough, but as I recall, the so-called fatal flaw of your coven was that you couldn’t use your magic to harm your mate. My guess is that is why you didn’t try and turn it on Eoghan, but I’d be willing to bet, you’d be able to if you really needed to.”
“You’re probably right about that. Can you and I just agree that you are not going to be the pain-in-my-ass mate? Decker is going to be bad enough. And could you ask me before you do things?”
He caressed her cheek. “I knew it needed to be done and was afraid that if you knew I was going to do it, even if it didn’t hurt, you’d tighten up or jerk away in anticipation and then it would have. How about I will try to be the reasonable mate?”
“Thanks. I would really appreciate it. Right now, I feel like the pawn on a chessboard. Everybody’s just moving me around, and I have nothing to say about it. I’m expendable.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, you’re more like the queen, which is the most powerful piece on the board. She is iconic in most board games and combines the moves of the rook and the bishop. Decker and I are merely your supporting pieces. Eoghan knows that; it’s why he won’t give up on trying to retake you.”
“I don’t want this. I don’t want any of this. I didn’t ask for any of it.”
Not only could he hear the stress in her voice, but he could feel it coming down the tether between them. As weak as the bonding link was at this point, the fact that he could feel her emotions was an indicator of the bond they would have in the future. If she was right, and he believed she was, Decker was going to have to eradicate Eoghan’s mark if they were to have any hope of freeing her from his influence.
“No one is suggesting you did. We all know that our way of life—that of shifters—was imposed on you without your consent.”
“You don’t know how it feels to have no say in the matter.”
“I do. Oliver Halsey was my CO and later my alpha. He turned me on the battlefield to save my life, and before you tell me it’s not the same, I know that it isn’t, but I do have an inkling of how it feels. I’ve also worked with more than my fair share of humans who were turned without their consent.”
“It’s still not the same,” she said, stubbornly.
“I didn’t say it was. I simply said, I did have a basis for understanding. I do think, though, that until we can figure out how this thing between you, Decker, and me is going to work and its ramifications, we should probably exercise a little more caution than you letting Decker have his way with you on Colby’s desk.”
Adriana rolled her eyes. “Oh, good god, are we back to that? Why don’t you figure out what you want out of all of this. Right now, the best I’ve felt since this whole thing started with Eoghan was when Decker covered my body with his. For the first time in almost a year, I felt whole. And if you think I’m giving that up because you’re feeling left out…” She hopped off the exam table. “Think again.”
“Adriana, get back up on the exam bed. I’m not through yet.”
“Well, I am, and last time I checked, you weren’t the boss of me.”
“Boss of you? Seriously?” She ignored his directions and tried to push past him. As she opened the door, Greg placed his palm on it, slamming it shut before pressing her back up against it. “Perhaps you need me to show you just what kind of mate I intend to be.”
He lowered his head, and as his lips met hers, the nausea and dizziness seemed to fall away as a connection with her settled into place. It wasn’t the snap or the profound sense of oneness he’d heard described, but a deep and abiding bond taking hold. He knew it would never be broken or replaced. The idea that if she left, his soul would follow hers was no longer a romantic notion but a certainty. He’d tried to tell himself that he could ignore the simmering desire that had bubbled just beneath the surface, but he knew better.
“Greg,” she managed to murmur as her body softened and her hands found his waist with a kind of acceptance that made his heart race.
“Shh,” he whispered against her lips, deepening the kiss as she melted into him. The world narrowed down to the firm press of her body against his. In her embrace, he found a feeling of rightness. There was a feeling of protectiveness and caring he’d never felt before.
Greg swept her up in his arms and carried her from the exam room to a separate room he kept for when he needed to be closer to patients than the main keep—each step was a silent agreement, a mutual surrender to the elemental force that was the call of a fated mate.
The room was small, but comfortably furnished and lit only by a single lamp, casting shadows around the room. Setting her down on her feet, he gently removed her clothes, his fingers brushing against her skin and removing layers of fabric and reserve until she stood naked before him.
“My god, you’re even more beautiful than I imagined,” he said, each word laced with a reverent awe. He needed her to know this was important—not just him evening the score with Decker. “I’d begun to believe my fated mate didn’t exist, and I’d accepted that if I didn’t find you at all my work would be my solace.” He chuckled. “I’m so glad I was wrong. You’re not at all what I expected and everything I didn’t know I wanted and needed.”
“You need a smart-ass witch/wolf-shifter hybrid?” she quipped, her nervousness showing.
“You have no idea how much.”
He laid her down on the bed and without ever losing eye contact, removed his own clothes. Joining her on the bed, he stretched out and began exploring her body, a kind of devotion mixed with desire in each caress. He needed her to understand this was more than just a physical union; it was the joining of their souls. He was beginning to understand that somehow, he and Decker had always been linked—that she needed them both.
Greg’s hands were a soft whisper against her heated skin, grazing her nipples and sending waves of pleasure coursing through her. She was uncharted territory. His mouth skimmed over her—kissing, licking, nipping, and heightening her arousal.
“Greg, maybe we should—” she began, her breath hitching as his tongue flicked over sensitive flesh.
“Shh,” he soothed, his hands continued their gentle exploration. “Just feel.”
She moaned softly, her fists grasping at the sheets, silencing any doubts he might have had. The tension within him coiled tighter, each caress drawing her closer to the precipice where need and desire converged. He was patient and methodical in his relentless pursuit of her pleasure. Decker might well be the wildfire that threatened to consume her, but he meant to be the warm fire of the hearth that kept her warm and safe for the rest of their lives.
“Greg,” she gasped, her voice breaking on his name.
“Let go, Adriana,” he murmured between kisses, his voice raw with restrained desire. “Come undone for me.”
The world narrowed down to the sensation of his mouth, the mastery of his touch, and the overwhelming certainty that he was about to cause her to shatter into a million pieces. Her breath became rapid and thready as her orgasm approached. When the climax hit, her body arched off the bed, every muscle tensing as wave after wave of ecstasy rippled through her.
“Greg,” she cried out, a testament to the wonder he had coaxed from her depths.
It was amazing, a revelation that left her breathless and trembling, clinging to the remnants of earth-shattering bliss. As the aftershocks of her climax subsided, her hands found him, hard and insistent as she wrapped her fingers around his length. His breath hitched as she began to stroke, a rhythmic pull that made him growl in a way that had nothing to do with anger.
“Greg,” she murmured, the raw power of his need pressing into her palm.
“Enough,” he said, his voice strained, the words barely a whisper against her lips.
It was the vulnerability in her eyes, the silent plea for affirmation that undid the last thread of hesitation within him. He might be pushing her too soon when she was still vulnerable, but he didn’t care. He needed her every bit as much as she needed him.
“Please,” she breathed out.
The corners of his mouth lifted in a half-smile filled with promise before his lips crushed against hers. The kiss unleashed the maelstrom that had been brewing and cleared away any remnants of restraint. In this moment, there were only the two of them as the heat of their bodies entwined with the thundering pulse of desire that demanded fulfillment.
He covered her with his body as his cock pressed against her entrance. With a gentle but firm push, he entered her, evoking a soft gasp from her throat. Her snug pussy quivered up and down his length, sending ripples of pleasure coursing through him.
“Greg…” The word was a sigh, a prayer, as she wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing him deeper.
He began to move within her, each thrust punctuated by a shared breath, a shared heartbeat. There was no awkwardness between them, no uncertainty. They moved in sync, a dance as old as time, yet as fresh as the new desire blooming between them. The world outside this room ceased to exist. Nothing could touch them here, not the shadows of the present or any doubts they carried over from their pasts. Her arms wrapped around his body as their souls entwined, making him feel as if they were invincible.
He quickened the pace, driving harder and faster, a crescendo of motion and sensation that spiraled tighter with every thrust. The heat of her body seared against his, a strong and steady inferno that caught them up and both consumed and restored them both. Greg couldn’t remember a time since he had awakened as a wolf that he’d felt more alive or in tune with the universe.
Adriana clung to him, her fingers digging into the cords of muscle along his back, each movement driving them both closer to the edge.
“Greg,” she gasped, her voice hitching as the building pleasure spiraled within her. With every stroke, he hit a depth that sent stars bursting behind her closed eyelids.
“Let go, Adriana,” he urged, his breath hot against her ear as he nuzzled her, a kind of urgent whisper that wove through the haze of his senses. “I’ve got you.”
And then, as if his words were the key to releasing the lock, the tension snapped. The explosion of bliss was blinding, all-consuming. His body shook with the force of it as he ground against her, waves of ecstasy rolling through him in a relentless tide. Adriana cried out as her pussy clamped down, a sound that echoed off the walls, raw and full of wonder.
“God, yes…” Greg groaned, his own release coinciding with hers.
He shuddered as he pumped his seed into her. His body tensed in powerful spasms until he collapsed, giving her his weight and finding contentment and fulfillment in the way they fit together. Lying beneath him, he held her close, feeling the aftershocks tremble through them both. A profound stillness enveloped the room, their mingled breaths the only sound. Her heartbeat pulsed against his chest, a drumbeat that matched his own.
In that moment, he realized she was every bit as much his sanctuary as he was hers. Maybe it was that way for Decker, as well. They each needed something different from her, and she needed what both of them could offer.
It wasn’t the usual way of things, but Greg dared to hope. Maybe this was the start of never being alone again, of truly belonging, not just to a clan or pack but to the other half of his soul. Maybe, just maybe, they could hold on to this connection—the three of them—this perfect, unguarded unity that seemed too intense to be anything but fate.
“Stay with me,” she whispered into the quiet, her voice barely there but still heavy with unspoken desire. “Never let me go.”
“Always,” he answered, his lips tracing the curve of her shoulder, sealing the vow.