Chapter 30
Erin
For a moment, Ashton simply looked at me, a storm of emotions playing across his features. Then, with a growl of pure need, swept me up into his arms. His stride was confident as he carried me toward the house and his bedroom, where the night would seal our bond in the most primal way imaginable.
"I love you, Erin," he said with a ferocity that sent shivers down my spine. My heart raced, not with fear, but with anticipation for the culmination of a bond that felt as ancient as the stars themselves.
The door to Ashton's bedroom closed with a soft click behind us, and he placed me gently on the edge of the bed. His eyes never left mine; they were pools of molten gold, burning with an intensity that both scared and thrilled me.
"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice deep and resonant in the quiet room.
I nodded, my throat tight with emotion. "Yes, I've never been surer of anything."
He kneeled before me, taking my hands in his. "Erin, claiming is forever. It's not just a word. It's my soul recognizing yours."
"I understand," I whispered. My heart was a drumbeat echoing through the silence, each thump echoing my resolve.
"Then we begin," Ashton said, and his lips found mine in a kiss that stole my breath away. It was gentle at first, then grew with an urgency that matched the beating of my heart.
We broke apart, gasping for air, and he looked into my eyes again. "I love you, Erin. With everything I am."
"And I love you, Ashton. With all my heart."
He stood then and undressed. I watched, my pulse racing, as he revealed the body of a warrior—sculpted and powerful. When he was done, he helped me out of my clothes, his fingers deft and careful.
"Ready?" he asked, his gaze searching mine for any hesitation.
I nodded, the moment settling around us.
"Then let's begin our forever," he said, and lifted me into his arms once more, laying me down onto the bed as if I were the most precious thing in the world. He pulled a condom out of the bedside drawer and opened it so he could slip it on when needed.
Ashton's words echoed in my mind, resonated within my soul.
He loved me. And I loved him too. My heart beat wildly in anticipation as he lowered himself beside me on the bed, his warm breath tickling my earlobe.
His fingers trailed softly down my spine, tracing the curve of my back until they reached the hem of my underwear.
With a gentle tug, he pulled them off, leaning in closer and drew circles around it with his nose, his hot breath causing me to shiver in excitement.
His tongue darted out to taste me, lapping at my nectar like a hungry beast. It was an intense sensation that made me cry out softly.
His firm hands slid up to cup my breasts, massaging them gently before meeting his lips with a tender kiss. My nipples hardened under his touch, sending sharp pangs of pleasure through my body.
The bed dipped slightly as he pressed his weight onto me, pinning one of my legs over his shoulder so that he could slip into position.
"Erin?" Ashton said quietly?
"Yeah?" Oh, my gosh, would he just shove it in already? I was about to die.
"Do you want kids?"
That was an odd time to ask, but… "Yeah." I stared at his dick, the head just barely touching my entrance and shifted my hips, so he rubbed against me.
"Soon?"
"Yeah."
My pussy stretched deliciously as he entered me completely, and then we were connected in a way that felt both intimate and powerful. He moved slowly at first, finding a rhythm that matched our hearts' beats as he pushed deeper inside of me with each thrust.
The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room along with our labored breaths and moans of pleasure.
Every nerve ending screamed for more as Ashton took control, pushing deeper still into my depths.
The heat of his body surrounded me, engulfing me in a fiery embrace that made my toes curl and muscles clench uncontrollably.
His free hand roamed over my stomach, tracing patterns. My nipples hardened even more.
The headboard hit the wall with every powerful thrust he made, adding to the intensity of our lovemaking.
The tip of Ashton's tongue danced across my collarbone, tasting my sweat-drenched skin as he pounded into me relentlessly.
A low growl rumbled in his chest, vibrating against my nipple, sending waves of pleasure coursing through me.
With every stroke inside me, he seemed to possess me more fully; claiming what was always meant to be his.
My fingers dug into his shoulders as I met his eyes and saw myself reflected in them - desire personified.
His movements grew more urgent now as he neared his peak, his hips slamming against mine in a primal rhythm that echoed through my entire being.
The sound of our syncopated breaths filled the room as we rode out this wave together; our love story unfolding before us.
Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, he shifted position slightly so that his fingers traced teasing circles around my clit while he continued to drive into me hard and deep.
I cried out his name as an intense orgasm engulfed me - waves crashing against my body one after another until there was nothing left but pure bliss.
Heat and desire poured off him in waves, his muscles straining under my touch.
He bit his lip, gritting his teeth as he found that sweet spot deep inside me.
His hips bucked violently, slamming into me with powerful thrusts as his fingers twisted and turned, driving me closer to ecstasy with each stroke.
Burying his face in my neck, Ashton opened his mouth and ran his teeth along the sensitive skin there. "Are you sure?" he asked.
"Positive." I tensed a bit, but he pressed harder on my clit and his hips bucked wildly as his oddly sharp teeth bit into my neck just above my collarbone.
My heart raced with terror and excitement - not for the first time that night.
It was both exhilarating and terrifying to be taken by him in this way, completely exposed and vulnerable under his passionate assault.
Every nerve ending in my body stood on edge as he found just the right angle to hit my G-spot, sending shockwaves of pleasure coursing through every inch of my being.
I clung to him desperately, digging my nails into his shoulders as he bit harder and slammed into me with renewed force.
The moment was a crescendo of everything we had been building toward, a mingling of breath and heartbeat, of skin on skin.
The world narrowed to his touch, his scent, the frantic rhythm of our bodies.
A delicious tension coiled and tightened, pulling every nerve taut until a blinding flash of sensation ignited, spreading like wildfire through every cell.
We soared, tangled in a powerful surge that ripped through us both, a shared release that left us breathless and utterly undone.
All thought dissolved, replaced by pure, electric euphoria as we clung to each other, riding the last tremors of profound pleasure.
When he finally claimed me, it was with a certainty that resonated through my very core.
As he bit the hardest he had yet into my neck, pain spiked, but then a sudden transformation began within me.
It didn't hurt; it was more like an awakening, a primal recognition.
"Erin," he said with a mix of desire and urgency as he sensed the change overtaking me. "We need to go outside. Now."
I barely registered his words, still caught in the haze of our union, but I allowed him to lead me, trusting him implicitly. The cool night air hit my heated skin as we stepped out onto his large balcony.
"Focus on the energy coursing through you," he said, his hands on my shoulders, steadying me as my legs felt unsteady. "Let it flow, don't fight it."
"How?" I sounded strange to my own ears, distant and shaky.
"Imagine the essence of a dragon, powerful and ancient. Picture wings, scales, the freedom of the sky." His voice was a calm anchor amidst the storm brewing inside me.
I closed my eyes, summoning every myth and story he'd ever told me about his kind. I visualized wings stretching wide, the strength of talons, the rush of wind. Then, without warning, the sensation of my skin crawling intensified to an unbearable itch.
"Let it happen," he coaxed, sensing my struggle to hold on to my humanity.
A tremor racked my body, and I gasped, releasing the image in my mind into reality.
There was a moment of resistance, like breaking the surface of water, and then I was expanding, growing beyond the confines of my human form.
My bones popped and muscles contorted, but there was no pain. It kind of tickled, actually.
"Open your eyes," he said, and when I did, the world was different, sharper and more vibrant.
I could feel the power of what I had become, the sheer potential for flight thrumming in my veins.
I was a creature of legend, a dragon. When I looked back over my new body, scales a mosaic of black and white, shimmered with a depth that swallowed the light and then threw it back.
It was a beautiful, powerful contrast, perfectly me.
Ashton shifted to his dragon and the two of us were airborne.
The sky embraced us in its boundless expanse.
My wings, a part of me that had never existed before, beat with powerful strokes against the air.
Every flap lifted us higher, and a laugh bubbled up from deep within my scaled chest, a sound that turned into a roar echoing across the open sky.
Erin. His voice echoed in my mind, a soft whisper amidst the rush of wind. You're flying! Can you feel it? The freedom?
I could, more intensely than anything I'd ever experienced. It was as if I'd been born to soar among the clouds, to dance with the sun on my back and the world sprawling endlessly below. My heart swelled with a joy so profound it bordered on pain. This was what it meant to be truly alive.
Stay close to me, he said, his presence a comforting shadow at my side.
Always. My thoughts mingled with his, knowing no barriers now that we shared this bond.
Promise me. His voice came again, tinged with an emotion that mirrored my elation. Promise that you'll accept my love forever.
Forever, I affirmed without hesitation, my spirit soaring as high as our entwined forms. With every beat of my wings, with every breath of fire, I am yours.
We dipped and rose, spiraling upwards in an aerial ballet that defied gravity and reality. The cool air rushed past us, the world below reduced to a patchwork of colors and shapes, all insignificant from our lofty heights.
Together we climbed higher still, leaving behind the mundane and embracing the extraordinary. With him, I found not just my wings but the promise of an eternal love that even the vastness of the skies couldn't contain.
Look down. See the world beneath you.
I glanced below, the tapestry of life stretching out to the horizon. It was more beautiful than I could have imagined.
Can you believe it? That's all ours to explore.
I can't believe it. It's all so... vast.
Vast, but not empty. Not with us in it.
The world was new and full of promise.
"By your side, forever. That's my vow."
"Forever." The concept wrapped around me like a warm embrace as we flew on.
We hope you loved Erin and Ashton's story.
We have only scratched the surface of our plans for the Shifters of Stock Creek.
If our wishes come true, there will be ten more books in this series, although even that could expand if characters beg to have their stories told.
Stock Creek will comprise standalone books with an ongoing timeline—including appearances by our past and future main characters throughout.
You can technically read out of order, but beware, there will be spoilers if you do.
You have met many of the upcoming book's main characters already! Care to start dreaming about who they are? We'll give you the next one because we are just that excited…
Wait for it….wait for it….