Chapter 9
NINE
Abe
The first thing I feel when I wake is peace. Real peace. The kind that sinks right down into your bones and breath and settles there like it belongs.
My wolf is stretched out inside me, satisfied for once instead of restless.
Our mate is safe and satisfied, he sighs, rolling over on his back inside me.
He sounds half asleep. I don’t blame him. We were up for most of the night making love.
The room is quiet. Morning light filters through the curtains. And Roxie… Roxie is curled against me, her cheek resting over my heart, one hand fisted lightly in my T-shirt like she anchored herself there during the night and didn’t want to let go.
My chest tightens.
Yeah.
Same.
I press a soft kiss to her hair.
“Morning,” I murmur.
She shifts, making a sleepy sound that does something dangerous to my self-control. Then her eyes blink open, still hazy and soft.
“Hi,” she whispers.
That one word does more to me than a thousand declarations.
I brush my thumb along her jaw. “Hungry?”
“Oh, my god,” she groans, burying her face in my chest. “Are you going to ask me that every day?”
“Probably,” I admit, and she laughs. “Are you hungry?”
She smiles. “Yeah. Starving.”
My wolf huffs. Feed her!
Working on it.
I kiss her gently—a slow, warm, good morning kiss rather than hungry heat—then force myself to get out of bed before I forget that I have a meeting this morning.
I cook quietly while she showers. Pancakes. Eggs. Fruit. Coffee. The sun is cresting the trees when she pads into the kitchen in one of my sweatshirts, hair damp, cheeks pink.
Mine.
“What do you want to do today? Are you sore? I should’ve run you a bath. I’ll get you some medicine,” I ramble.
Roxie stops me before I can leave the kitchen. “I’m fine. A little sore, but not too bad.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
I nod, and we sit and dig into our breakfast.
She moans as she eats. “This is so good.”
“Thanks. There’s more.” I stand to grab some more pancakes.
“What are we doing today?” she asks.
“I have to go to a meeting at the Midnight Haven cabin. I don’t think it will take very long. When I get home, we can do whatever you want.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
We finish eating, and I clean up while Roxie puts the leftover food away.
“Did you want to come with me to the meeting?” I offer. “Or I can bring you to Fern’s house.”
“No, I think I’ll take a shower and get some sleep,” she says, smothering a yawn.
“Okay. I’ll be back soon.” I kiss her softly before I grab my keys and head out.
I lock the front door behind me and make the short drive to the Midnight Haven headquarters.
Everyone is already there when I arrive, and I take the seat next to Christian.
“Hey,” he greets. “How’s your mate?”
I grin.
He laughs. “That good, huh?”
“She’s perfect.”
“I’m happy for you. It’s good to see you so happy. You deserve it, man.”
“Thanks.”
The meeting begins a moment later, and I try to focus on what’s being said, but all I can think about is what my mate is doing right now.
“There’s been increased activity around the cult’s northern boundary,” Russo says, voice even. “More foot patrols. More vehicles. Nothing overt, but more.”
More dangerous, my wolf growls.
“We don’t know what they’re planning,” he continues. “So we stay visible inside town. We pair patrols. We don’t take risks.”
Meaning: protect the humans.
Meaning: protect Roxie.
Eyes glance toward me.
I nod without hesitation. “She won’t be alone.”
My wolf rumbles his agreement. We’ll keep our mate safe.
The meeting runs longer than I like, but eventually, the strategy is set, shifts are assigned, and contingency plans are confirmed.
Christian claps my shoulder when we finally disperse. “Hang on to the good.”
“I plan to.”
I smile as I drive home, imagining waking my mate up in a creative, sexy way. That plan is sidelined when I walk in and see Roxie at the kitchen table, curled up with tea and a book Fern must have lent her. The second I walk into the room, she looks up.
And smiles.
God, I could live on that.
“How’d it go?” she asks.
I cross the room and kiss her, slow and reassuring. “We’re fine. But there’s been movement up north. Nothing close, nothing immediate, but enough that I need you to be careful.”
Her brows lift slightly. “How careful?”
I sit beside her, taking her hand. “I don’t want you out there alone. If you go anywhere, I want you with me, or with Fern and Jameson. At least until things settle.”
She blinks.
Then her jaw sets. “So… supervised.”
I wince. “Protected.”
She exhales, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Abe—”
“I know,” I say softly. “It feels like rules. Limits. Like everything you ran from.”
Her eyes flick to mine.
I hold her gaze. “But this isn’t me controlling you,” I continue quietly. “This is me keeping you safe. Because if anything touched you again—”
My wolf bristles. Never again.
She studies me for a long moment. It’s not anger I see. It’s conflict.
“I just… wanted my life to be mine,” she says softly.
“It still is,” I promise. “I won’t cage you. I don’t cage what I love. You have my word.”
Her breath stutters slightly at that word.
Love.
Yeah, that one’s not going back in the box.
Her tension lingers, that edge of frustration and desire for freedom balanced against fear and love and trust.
So, I do the only thing I know how to do.
I soften it.
I slide my hands to her waist, tugging her gently closer.
“Let me make it up to you,” I murmur, brushing my lips across her temple.
Her breath hitches as my hands creep under her shirt. She shivers as my fingertips brush against her soft skin, and I smile as I guide her toward our bedroom.
“How are you going to make it up to me?” she asks breathlessly.
“I’ve got some ideas.”
“Yeah?”
“Uh-huh. I’m going to start by undressing you.”
“Oh, God,” she gasps.
My wolf licks his lips inside me.
“No, mate. You say my name,” I growl against her skin.
“Abe!”
“That’s it.”
We make it into our room, and I tug her shirt up and over her head. She’s still wearing my clothes, and I remind myself to fix that as I work on tugging my joggers down her shapely legs.
“No underwear?” I ask when I see that she’s bare.
“I couldn’t find any,” she gasps.
I hum as I kiss my way down her neck and nudge her toward the bed. We tumble onto the mattress, and my hands skim over her curves. She arches into my touch. I growl, loving the way she responds to me.
My wolf howls inside me as I kiss my way down to her tits.
“So perfect,” I tell her as I mold the soft mounds in my palms.
I suck the hard bud of her nipple into my mouth.
“Abe!” she cries out.
I moan as she rubs her drenched pussy against my cock.
I pinch her other nipple, lavishing the little cherries with attention until she’s a writhing, needy mess beneath me.
“Please!” she begs.
I chuckle darkly. “I haven’t made up for everything yet,” I say as I kiss my way down her stomach and between her legs.
“Abe, please,” she pleads.
“I need a taste.”
I bury my face between her dripping folds.
“ABE!” she screams, her fingers tangling in my hair.
She holds me to her, and I growl as I lick up all her juices. I suck her clit into my mouth, and her legs snap shut around my head.
“Oh, God, Abe!” she shouts as she comes against my face.
I lick her through her orgasm and keep on licking. My tongue wiggles into her snug little opening, and her hips shoot off the bed. I eat her out until she comes against my face again, then prowl up her body, line my cock up with her center, and thrust balls deep.
“Fuck!” she cries out, her pussy spasming around my length.
I don’t give her time to adjust. We’re both too keyed up, too needy. I fuck her like the beast I am, my hips slamming against hers as I bottom out inside her tight channel again and again.
She tightens around me with each thrust, teetering on the edge. My fingers find her clit, and as soon as I touch the little button, she goes off like a rocket.
“Abe! Don’t stop!” she screams.
“Wasn’t planning on it,” I grunt, hammering into her.
My orgasm builds, and I grit my teeth.
“Roxie!” I groan as I come.
She clings to me as my hips jerk, and I grunt as I spill my seed deep inside her.
“Mine. Mate,” I pant.
“Mine,” she says, smiling at me sleepily.
I pull out of her gently and collapse next to her on the mattress.
“Did you sleep while I was gone?” I ask.
“No, I started thinking and then was nervous for you,” she admits with a yawn.
I brush the hair out of her face. “I’m fine. We’re fine.”
“I know. I just… couldn’t turn off the bad thoughts.”
“We’ll work on that,” I promise, and she smiles softly.
When I finally gather her close, the rest of the world fades. The danger, the cult, everything. There’s only the woman in my arms… and the truth we’ve already fallen into without even trying.
Roxie settles against me, and I grin as her breathing evens out and she falls asleep. I stroke her back as my eyes grow heavy, and I follow her into slumber.