Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
ROAD-TESTED & MATE-APPROVED
Maya
A few weeks later, and my van is a masterpiece.
Ronan has spent days working on it, making it beautiful, making it mine.
It’s not just repairs—it’s an overhaul, inside and out.
It shines, from the fresh coat of paint to the reinforced shocks, to the tiny thoughtful details only someone who listens, who cares would think to add.
My eyes prickle as I take it all in, running my fingers over the intricate carvings he’s added to the interior woodwork.
Wulver designs.
Markings of protection and belonging.
I used to think I had to sacrifice everything—security for freedom, stability for adventure.
I thought wanting both was selfish.
That having dreams, needing space, making plans meant I had to choose between who I was and who I could love.
That I had to spend money to make up for what others lacked, to prove my worth.
With Ronan, I don’t feel used.
I don’t feel selfish for having goals.
And, for the first time in my life, I don’t feel restless.
With Ronan, I feel adventurous.
And he?
He just wants to be with me.
I sit cross-legged on an alpine chair, laptop propped up, tapping away at some overdue work.
Ronan strides over, his presence a quiet storm, all heat and heavy golden eyes.
He stops in front of me, arms crossed over his broad, furred chest, tail twitching.
“You save your work?” he rumbles.
I blink up at him. “Uh, yeah?”
A slow, wicked grin spreads over his face.
“Good,” he says.
Then—
He hauls me inside of the van like I weigh nothing, sets me on my feet, and nods toward the back seat.
“It’s time to test the new shocks.”
Curious, I climb in, expecting a test drive.
What I don’t expect?
Him pinning me down in the back of the van, his heavy, hot body caging me in.
A shiver zips down my spine, my breath catching as his hands slide up my thighs, spreading them open.
“Ronan,” I gasp, but he just leans in, nuzzling my neck, his voice thick with promise.
“This is a field test, little red,” he murmurs. “I need to know how well she handles the ride.”
And then?—
He thrusts into me, deep and rough, his hips pounding against mine, the shocks taking every jolt, every impact.
I barely have time to breathe, barely have time to think, only to feel.
The way he moves, the way he drives into me, harder, faster, until I’m bouncing beneath him, breasts heaving, body arching into every ruthless, perfect thrust.
He grins, watching me fall apart, delighting in the way I shake beneath him.
I break before he does.
Shattering, crying out, clawing at his back, my body convulsing around him as he groans against my skin, his rhythm faltering, his growls turning feral.
And when he finally spills inside me, knotting me tight, locking us together, I know?—
This van?
Mate-approved.
When I finally catch my breath, I lay sprawled in the back, body thoroughly wrecked, Ronan still buried deep inside me, his knot pulsing.
I shift, arching an eyebrow. “Well?”
Ronan nuzzles into my hair, smug as hell. “Shocks are holding up.”
I hum, thoughtful. “We might need to check the front seats, though.”
His ears perk up, his tail giving a slow sweep.
“How well they recline and all that,” I add innocently.
He growls, low and appreciative, and before I can blink, he picks me up, carries me to the front, and settles me in his lap.
"Good idea," he murmurs.
And we test that theory thoroughly.
Later, as we lay tangled together, my fingers idly stroking through his fur, I sigh, content.
“I’m not done traveling,” I say softly. “I don’t know when I will be.”
Ronan hums, nipping at my shoulder. “That’s fine.”
I shift, pressing a kiss to his jaw. “But I will come back.”
He doesn’t say anything for a moment.
Then—
“When you do,” he murmurs, “our cabin will be waiting.”
The words settle deep inside me, curling around something warm, something permanent.
I smile, feeling no pressure, no expectation.
Just love.
And when that time comes?—
I look forward to christening every surface of that place, too.