Truth and Lies #8
I tightened my grip on his hand, and his smile grew wider.
“I really think you’re going to like this, Shade. At least, I hope you do. It’s one of my favorite spots in the world.” His voice was almost giddy with excitement.
No matter what we were doing or where we were going, I was going to like it because I was with him.
“Here’s the entrance,” he said.
I peeked around him to see the mouth of a dark cave. But this wasn’t like the cavern at the Sloping Falls. This opening was much smaller, and a series of natural steps led down into the ground.
There was a bag sitting next to the entrance, and Caelan released my hand to grab it.
“I had Taffy run this up for us earlier,” he explained as he dug through it. “I was kind of hoping I’d get the chance to take you here today.”
He pulled out a pair of swim trunks and then handed it to me.
“You can go change behind the trees if you’d like a little privacy,” he offered, peeling off his T-shirt.
I stared at his bare chest, forgetting myself as my fingers gripped the bag tightly. He grinned, giving me a wink as he reached for the waistband of his shorts.
I ducked my head, my cheeks on fire as I hurried toward the tree line. How embarrassing! I’m practically drooling over him just taking off his shirt!
I appreciated his understanding. Even though we were mates and we’d kissed, I wasn’t sure I was ready to be totally naked around him. Honestly, I wasn’t sure who’d have more trouble controlling their desire at this point, him or me.
I carried the bag over behind a sturdy oak, pursing my lips when I saw what was inside.
Dammit Taffy. I should have known.
Inside was the red bikini that Taffy had picked out for me when we went shopping.
The one that I’d never have the courage to wear on my own.
I huffed, stripping off my clothes and slipping on the teeny-tiny scraps of fabric held together by thin pieces of string.
It barely covered the essentials, leaving very little to the imagination.
I might as well be naked. It’s one thing to show off some skin when shifting, but this? This is flaunting it. Goddess, I hope Caelan doesn’t think I’m trying to throw myself at him.
I grabbed the dress I’d been wearing and pulled it back over my head, feeling a little better as soon as I was covered.
I stepped out from behind the trees to find Caelan waiting for me in his swim trunks. I bit my lip, looking over the hard lines of his body. Somehow this man managed to get more beautiful each time I saw him.
It simply isn’t fair. No one should be that good-looking.
We walked through the archway, and everything went dark for a minute. I was instantly on high alert as my eyes tried to adjust. I hated spaces like this. They were perfect for an ambush.
However, all of that changed when the tunnel suddenly opened, bathing us in a soft glow and revealing one of the most amazing places I’d ever seen.
It was a small, natural cavern with water trickling through gaps in the rock and creating an underground grotto. Someone had installed underwater lighting, the crystal-clear water shining with a bright-blue hue.
But as breathtaking as that was, the most amazing feature was the ceiling and the walls surrounding the shallow pool. The dark rock glittered, the lights shining off the minerals embedded in it, making them shimmer like tiny diamonds.
I gasped in awe of the beauty around me.
“Welcome to the Starlight Grotto,” Caelan said as he gestured to the room. “We don’t usually let outsiders come here. You’re one of the first, but since you’re going to be part of this pack, I figured it was allowed.”
I stopped in my tracks. Did he say I was going to be part of this pack?
It hadn’t occurred to me yet that as Caelan’s mate, I would have to leave Thunder Moon. He outranked me, and it was customary for the lower-ranking wolf to follow their mate.
I’m going to have to leave my pack. I’m not sure how I feel about that. Sad? Relieved? It’s not like they even want me around, but that pack’s been my whole life.
“Come on,” he called as he waded into the water, oblivious to my inner turmoil.
I stepped down onto the ledge, the water lapping over my ankles as I tried to clear my thoughts.
One step at a time.
I hesitated for a moment, knowing that I’d have to undress if I wanted to follow him.
Should I just swim in my clothes? They’ll be a mess when we return to the pack house if I get them wet, and I don’t really want to spark any rumors about what Caelan and I were doing out here.
Slowly, I pulled the fabric over my head, holding my breath as I revealed the deep-red bikini underneath.
A deep rumble filled the cavern, and I glanced up at Caelan just in time to see the fire that flared to life in his eyes. He was on me before I could blink, his muscular arms wrapping around my waist as he pulled me into the water toward him.
“Mine,” he growled, burying his face in the crook of my neck.
His warm breath danced across my flesh, leaving goosebumps in its wake as he inhaled my scent. A shiver ran down my spine as an unexpected pleasure fluttered through my core.
He scooped me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. One hand rested on the underside of my upper thigh, supporting me as the other encircled my torso, his fingertips trailing across my skin and leaving sparks in their wake.
“I promise,” he breathed, his voice growing huskier as he spoke. “I won’t do anything to push you, Shade. I’ll wait as long as it takes, okay? But seeing you dressed like that”—he gulped—“it’s taking everything I have to control myself.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered as he carried me deeper into the grotto.
“Oh no, baby. Don’t be sorry,” he groaned. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Everything about you draws me in. I’m just trying to be a gentleman. I know you need to take things slow, and I’m okay with that. It’s just challenging. Like earlier. You have no idea how much I wanted to kiss you.”
“That was my first kiss,” I replied softly, blushing and keeping my eyes on the water to avoid the surprised look I expected to see in his.
“I’m honored you saved it for me,” he whispered, brushing his cheek against mine. “To have been the only one to ever taste your sweet lips feels like winning a prize. But I promise, next time I’ll ask your permission first.”
He winked, and a thrill raced through me. Next time. He wants there to be a next time!
I draped my arms around his neck, feeling at home with him, like this was where I was always meant to be.
“Like maybe right now?” Caelan rasped, his tone growing increasingly strained.
“What?”
“Can I kiss you now?” he whispered, resting his forehead against mine. “Please, Shade.”
I nodded, a warm feeling bursting in my chest at the slow, seductive smile that crossed his lips.
“My mate,” he breathed, bringing his mouth to mine with such ferocious desire that I felt it echo through my soul.
The Right Decision
CAELAN
I was hooked. Absolutely head over heels. One day with Shade in my arms and it was over for me. There would never be another.
To be honest, I’d thought that I’d been in love before. I had my fair share of girlfriends in the past, and I’d even given my virginity to one of them, believing that I loved her enough to reject my fated mate for her.
Oh, how naive I was back then.
Those were nothing compared to what I felt for Shade. She was everything. If the Goddess had asked me what I wanted for a perfect mate, I couldn’t have designed a better woman for me than Shade.
The moment she let me kiss her, my heart nearly leapt out of my chest. I couldn’t blame it. It didn’t belong to me anymore. Shade was its owner now.
That first kiss had blown my mind, and every kiss that we’d shared after had only gotten better. She tasted sweeter than I had ever imagined, like fresh-baked cherry pie. I knew it would be good, but the reality had surpassed my wildest fantasies.
My coronation as alpha seemed less exciting compared to earning permission from my beautiful mate to hold her and taste her intoxicating lips.
Which was why when I awoke the following morning, I had one thing on my mind. To get through this damn dinner so I could finally claim her as mine.
I had dismissed Deianira, Talulla, and Briggita. Now it was time to get rid of Sunny.
***
I sat in my office with my betas and my gamma, going over the logistics of traveling to Thunder Moon’s territory.
I was less than eager to be taking Shade back to them, even if it was only temporarily. They didn’t deserve to be in her presence for a second, but I knew we had to do this one last thing to be done with the ritual.
“We need a solid plan for getting us to and from Thunder Moon without giving Dark Moon an opportunity to get at Shade,” I said, glancing at the three of them. “What’s our best plan of action?”
Dark Moon still posed a threat. They were after Shade, and I didn’t plan on giving them a chance to get their paws on my mate. Shade was under my protection now. She may not have officially been a member of the Harvest Moon Pack yet, but that was just a technicality.
“I suggest a convoy,” Dillon recommended. “Four SUVs should do it. The two in the front and rear will carry the warriors, while the two in the middle will be for your parents, you, Shade, and Sunny with a couple of guards riding along just in case.”
“Can’t we put Sunny in her own SUV?” I scoffed, knowing full well that would be a ridiculous waste of resources.
“Shade is Sunny’s bodyguard,” Taffy reminded me. “Until this is all over, you have to keep up appearances. If Sunny’s traveling, then Shade would be by her side.”
I knew she was right. I didn’t like it, but it didn’t change the facts.
“We should also consider having a squad in wolf form running alongside the convoy,” Oliver added. “They’ll know in advance if any wolves from Dark Moon are even close. They’ll be able to intercept them and warn the convoy of a possible attack.”