Chapter 12 #2
“I need to ask you something,” Bronc said, not looking at me.
“Sure.”
He was quiet, then: “This thing with Brie.”
Here we go. “Yes, sir?”
“You know I like her. You know I want you happy. But…” He hesitated, the word hanging like a weight.
“But?”
He sighed. “I’ve seen the way you look at her. Seen the way you look at a lot of women, but this is different. You’re more…intense.”
I snorted. “Didn’t think I had a softer setting.”
He smiled, then turned serious again. “I’ve been to Kazimir’s place in Philly. I know what you’re into. Hell, I know you got a taste for control, for the leash. But I don’t know if Brie has it in her.”
My skin prickled. “You think I’ll break her?”
He held up a hand. “No. That’s not it. I just… I’ve seen wolves break over less. Some girls need time to grow into it. You ever see what happens to a wild horse if you bridle it too soon?”
“Yeah,” I said. “But you also know sometimes the wild ones need a hard hand. Or they run themselves off a cliff.”
Bronc took a deep breath. “You’re right. Sometimes. But you care about this one, so I’m telling you—don’t go too fast. Don’t give her more than she can handle. She’s strong, but not invincible.”
I looked him in the eye. “We have rules, Bronc. Safewords. Boundaries. She’s not just my sub—she’s my partner. My mate; fated to be so. She’s fucking amazing at it.”
He watched me for a long second. Then he nodded and clapped me on the shoulder.
“I believe you. Just promise me you’ll talk to her. Not at her.”
“I will,” I said. “Tonight, actually.”
He grinned. “That’s my boy.”
I started to go, but he called after me. “One more thing, Gunner. If she says red, you stop. No matter what.”
He was starting to piss me off. I’m a fucking good Dom. I don’t need another one questioning me.
“Due respect, Alpha. Don’t question my ability to be a good Dom to my sub. I’m impeccable when it comes to her safety and well-being. If I ever feel like I’m out of control or need a refresher; you’ll be the first one I come to.”
He nodded, satisfied. “Apologies. Go get her, son.”
I left Bronc on the porch and headed for my truck, the sun already burning off the last of the dew. I had a night to get ready for, and a girl to win over for good. Bronc’s words continued to tumble in my head. My mate and I weren’t playing at Kazimir’s club. This was real life.
I didn’t plan on losing.
Brie arrived early, in a dress this time, blue and soft as a spring sky.
She wore boots, but the rest of her was pure trouble: legs bare, hair loosely tousled with blue-streaked brunette waves falling to her shoulders.
And I fucking swear she had on a lipstick that God help me was as pink as her pussy.
She carried a tiny bakery box from Aspen’s place and a bottle of wine that looked expensive enough to require an owner’s manual.
“You’re early,” I said, trying not to stare.
She grinned, eyes dancing. “You said seven, but I was starving, so—”
“Come on in,” I said, opening the door all the way. “Food’s hot. And you look…” I trailed off, lost for words.
She gave me a once-over, taking in my shirt (a white pearl snap, ironed to hell), jeans, and the boots I’d polished for the first time since last Christmas. “You clean up nice, cowboy.”
I flushed. “Yeah, well, when I got a woman who looks like you, I had to try to keep up.”
She followed me to the kitchen, set her stuff on the counter, and immediately started poking through the grocery bags. “You got the cake,” she gasped, pulling out the Buttercream don’t ask me what. And the sprouts are for me, so don’t feel pressured.”
She eyed the spread, then me. “You’re feeding an army.”
“You eat like a bird,” I said, “so I had to make up the difference.”
She hip-checked me. “Maybe I’m just polite.”
I set two plates on the table, while Brie grabbed the silverware.
“Look at us. Just like a real couple. I like it.” She paused, then grinned. “Sir.”
I grabbed her around the waist and kissed her. Hard. “Keep that up little girl, and this meal will wind up getting cold.”
“I thought we had things to discuss.” She said in a whisper as she quickly turned away.
The tension in my chest cracked. I watched her pour the wine, watched her fold the napkins like we were at a five-star joint, watched her set the table with the care of someone who wanted everything perfect but not too perfect. It was like watching a storm organize itself into something beautiful.
I pulled out her chair and waved my hand for her to sit. I followed her, sitting at the head of the table.
“You okay?” I asked. “After last night, I mean.”
She looked at me, eyes wide. “I’m more than okay. I—” She hesitated, looking down at her plate. “I’ve been thinking about it all day.”
“Thinking good, or thinking you want to press charges?”
She snorted. “Good, Finn, Jesus. I just… I have a lot of questions.”
“Ask,” I said. “That’s what tonight’s for.”
She took a sip of wine. “You really want honesty?”
“That’s all I want. I insist on it.”
She set her glass down and took a breath. “I’d never felt like that with anyone. Not even close. It was like every nerve in my body lit up at once, and I just wanted—” She broke off, looking down at her hands. “I just wanted to be good for you. I still do. Is that…normal?”
The words punched through my chest, sharp and sweet. “Yeah, little girl. That’s normal. For you, for me. I’ve never wanted anything more than to see you like that.”
She looked up, and there was something fierce behind her shyness. “Does that make me a sub?”
I leaned back, smiling. “Makes you mine, is what it makes you. But yeah, that’s what the word means. If you want it.”
She nodded fast. “I do. But I also want to know… why is it like this? Why does it feel so big? Is it just the sex, or is it… the mate thing?”
My fork stilled on the way to my mouth. There it was. The question I’d been waiting for.
“So you’ve felt it too. The mate bond. That’s what this is,” I said quietly. “I knew it the first time I saw you. There is no denying we’re mates; fated by the Goddess.”
Her face softened. “I felt it too. Not right away, but… I knew something was different. I think my trauma kept me so out of tune with things. But my wolf kept pushing me at you, even when I was being impossible.”
I grinned. “You are impossible. But that’s one of the things that makes you, you.”
She threw a carrot at me. “Butthead.”
I caught it and ate it, never breaking eye contact.
She looked down again. “So last night… why didn’t you… finish it?”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
She bit her lip. “You know. The bite. The knot. The… whole mating process.”
My face went hot. “You want the truth?”
She nodded.
“Because I wanted you to know what you were getting into first. Because I wanted you to choose me, not just your wolf. But what you got, that’s all me.
The entire package, Maverick. I’m a man, a wolf, and a Dom.
I need your submission. It feeds the need inside of me to protect you and yes, to be in charge of your pleasure and your pain.
That is one hundred percent true in the bedroom and to an extent in our everyday life.
I don’t want a slave. I want a partner. I will always respect you, your opinions, your wants, and concerns.
But my hope is that your trust will extend beyond the bedroom to the other areas of our lives as well. ”
She was quiet for a long moment. “I can do that. I love the idea of being strong enough to take care of myself, but I also revel in the idea of being taken care of. Does that make sense? I’m all for women having the power of their own agency.
And if that means they choose this, then that can be celebrated also. ”
I set my fork down. “Then you’ll get both. But you have to be sure.”
She looked at me, eyes shining. “I am. I don’t think I’ve ever been more sure of anything.”
We stared at each other; the food forgotten.
“You want to be mine?” I asked, voice rough.
She smiled. “More than anything.”
My hands trembled. I reached across the table, took her hand in mine, and held it like it was the only thing anchoring me to the earth.
“Say it,” I whispered.
She squeezed my hand, nails digging into my palm.
“I’m your mate, Finn Walsh. Now and forever. I want your bite. I want you to claim me.”
The words settled around us, heavy and perfect.
I stood up, circled the table, and pulled her up out of the chair.
She jumped into my arms, her legs wrapping around my waist, her arms around my neck.
She fit against me like we’d been made for this.
Her face buried in my neck as tears ran down her face with emotion.
I could feel her heart beating against mine, frantic and steady all at once.
She looked up, eyes wet but unafraid. “So what happens now?”
“Now let’s eat some cake,” I said, because anything else would make me lose my mind.
She laughed, a real, unfiltered sound. “FINN!”
I kissed her hard and fast until she was kissing back.
We didn’t eat cake. I’d hauled her down the hall to my bedroom in minutes. I had changed the sheets from the mess we’d made last night, knowing that we were about to wreck them once more.
“I’m not going to go slow, Maverick. I want you too bad.”