Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
RAMONA
T he rain was relentless, and as quickly as I ambled from the parking lot between Río’s place, I was more than a little damp. Once I was in the semi-safety of the alley behind his building, I waved to Delaney who watched me run up the steps on the way to Río’s door.
Again, I didn’t have to knock, because he opened up as soon as I approached the apartment. Clad in a black cropped t-shirt and gray sweatpants of all things, Río looked a cozy dream with his hair falling in messy waves. His facial piercings glinted in the hall security lights, and I let him pull me by the waist into his home. My scent was becoming a central component of the space, and I wanted to crow in happiness that, once again, the only other scent was the fading trace of his sister.
“You already eat?” he asked after a greeting kiss to the forehead. “I brought some wings and fries from work and can warm ‘em up if you’re still hungry.” I rolled my eyes at that because I could tell from here that the oven was already on and that he was warming the food anyway.
“Sure. But lemme change out of this.” I stepped back and gestured to my damp clothing.
When I reached a hand for my bag that Río had taken and slung on his shoulder as soon as I’d crossed the threshold, he grinned lasciviously and wiggled his brows. “Need me to help you?”
I was already unbuttoning my shorts, not bothering to go to the bathroom or up by the loft. “You do that plenty.”
He didn’t deny it as he busied himself with our dinner in the kitchen, but I felt his eyes on me while I undressed. Today, I’d been a bit more self-conscious as I’d dressed, but shedding the hoodie now didn’t fill me with dread, either. The soft cotton shorts and NYU t-shirt I’d packed were oversized and baggy, and I twisted my hair up with a clip from the front pocket of my bag to keep the damp strands off of my neck.
Río must’ve started on heating the food as soon as I’d texted that I was on my way, because he was already plating and carrying everything over by the time I sent a quick message to my brother and Sylvie that I made it to Río’s okay.
We took our usual places at the couch, me on the cushions and him on the floor, while we picked through the wings and fries. He got them extra spicy, how I preferred, and my tastebuds were flooded with the delicious, sticky spice. The wings made me think of the family gatherings that we’d attended in earnest when I was a child, that dwindled and eventually petered out. They weren’t jerk spiced, but the wings were good, and I cleaned the meat off with practiced ease, leaving nothing but bones.
Río’s eating was much the same, and once we finished, I took up washing the dishes while he threw out the trash and straightened the counters for the night. It was pleasantly domestic, so much so that I didn’t need to ask anymore where things went. I returned our two plates, now clean and dry, into the cupboard that was otherwise sparse.
Princess, I think I’m gonna have to keep you .
I let Río lead me up to the loft, and I wondered how quickly he would pack up his stuff when he was ready to move to wherever he was meaning to go. Would I have to hide out in a duffel bag to make absolutely sure that I went with him?
His bed was made, and a pile of books, including his sketchbook, rested on the floor. The rain was pelting the windows, giving a constant pitter patter and roll of lightening. Perfect cuddle weather.
Río gave me a funny look when I held up an arm and got to work, giving way to the urge in my chest by arranging the pillows and comforter to make a little comfy cocoon. He didn’t have too much, just three pillows and the large cover, but my thoughts narrowed to this single-minded drive. I improvised with my t-shirt and his sweatshirt that he had thrown over the bed.
After a few final adjustments and pats, I got a soft enclosure for our night that I was pretty proud of. Not that I was used to doing this for two, but being wrapped in soft blankets made me feel nice, so this little half-fort would hopefully bring him some enjoyment, too. The sight of it filled my belly with a cozy rightness, and I hummed in satisfaction.
I climbed into it first, testing that the walls and base were all good, before turning to invite Río to follow.
Oh.
He was smelling like that again. Deep like chocolate and sweet fruit with his own spiced heat. His claws had descended, and an almost feral expression had replaced the easygoing one.
He pounced on the bed, so fast it made me jump. My Jaguar was careful to not disturb the blankets and pillows I’d arranged, all the while sucking me into his black hole stare. He knelt on the bed, knees nudging against mine, and took the corners of my jaw in hand. He tilted my head up to face him, and the tips of his claws pressed against the back of my neck.
“You made a nest for us.” His words were almost hard to understand, infused with a low, feline growl. He nudged the side of my face with his, purring and licking, and a breathy, vibrating thrum started up in my chest. It reverberated with his, striking a harmony that filled the space and entire apartment.
Río pushed me onto my back, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He snatched the clip out of my hair and snuffled in the curls—despite them being a frizzy mess, he seemed to love it. I ran my hands across his arms, rippling with lean muscle, and my breathing quickened as I felt the beginnings of short and soft fur emerge. His voice continued to distort, and his mumbling in Spanish made what he was saying impossible for me to translate.
“… tu eres maravillosa… princesa bella, mi cielito… mi otra mitad te amo te amo te amo.” How he felt about me, though, I understood. It was the same as how I felt about him.
My own version of the cocoa and strawberries combined with his, wrapping us in sweetness that was emphasized by the bed I’d arranged. A nest, he called it. It obviously meant something, though I didn’t know how to verbalize it. Río’s cock was hard and pressing between my legs, and his arms now had long stretches of black fur. Another ran up his neck, stopping just behind his ear.
He pulled back, eyes yellow behind the plastic of his contact lenses, and opened his mouth. The ivory fangs were beautiful, and I trembled with the need for them to be buried in my neck. Not a desire—something I felt like I’d die without. “I’m not leaving without you, Ramona.” The hissing snarl wasn’t human at all anymore, and I mewled, nodding and baring my neck for him to do it. To claim me all the way.
He snapped to the sensitive curve of my shoulder, beside the bottom of my neck. Sharp teeth nibbled and pulled at the skin, eliciting a high-pitched yelp from my lungs. My hips pressed against his, needing to join in all ways. Now, now, now.
“ Please , do it, do it .”
He roared, the same noise that he’d given that day in the forest. Was that only a few weeks ago? It sounded like a saw cutting through wood, and my body vibrated again in answer. Yes, yes, yes , every part of me chanted and begged.
Río stilled, and I blinked up at the ceiling, worried that he was going to back out, not give us what we were both needing. A burst of thunder crashed outside, soon followed by a flash of lightning that cast his face in sharp relief. Some of his human voice returned, but the rest of him stayed half-shifted. “I’m not a good person, Ramona. I’ve… killed people. You’re in danger. Being with me.”
I pushed him up with a hand at his throat so that I could more clearly see. The anguish was creeping back over his features, the urgency around us retreating. Taking a note from him, I searched his eyes, let my senses stretch over him. By what he said the night he fucked me for the first time, I already knew that he wasn’t innocent.
And maybe I wasn’t either, because I didn’t care. Life after my attempt to take it away was colored differently, but I was more than willing to let my non-human half guide me to where I’d been drawn all along. To my Río.
“You’ll keep me safe?”
His grip on me tightened, and his lip curled in a snarl at the thought of something threatening me. “Always.”
“You love me?”
His chest heaved, but he didn’t hesitate. “I love you.” The scent of it rained down on us, washing over me.
“I love you, t—” Río tackled me back into the blankets, and our lips smashed together. I pulled and grabbed at his hair to keep him on me, groaning as we met in a wild mess of clicking teeth and swipes of tongues. Purposely, I cut myself on his fangs.
The taste of my blood ramped the both of us even higher, and my own teeth itched to claim him. Everything outside of this nest was unimportant. Irrelevant, even. I’d almost left this world without ever crossing paths with this Jaguar that was made for me.
Like hell was I going to turn back now.
Río brought his hand between our bodies and ripped through my bra and the thin shorts I wore. My panties went with them, becoming strips of tattered fabric that he shoved out of the way. Red lines raised on my skin, where his claws had swept through but didn’t break, and I used my own hands to tear at his clothes.
I didn’t have claws, but I had the burning in my heart and my own heightened strength on my side. His shirt tore like tissue paper, his sweatpants pretty much the same, until we were naked flesh on flesh.
“Río Bernal, do it now, so help me god.” I gasped into his mouth, blood coating my lips while I writhed beneath him.
He trailed wet and bloody kisses to the right side of my neck and stopped. I slapped at his shoulders, giving my own non-shifter version of a growl.
“You sure, baby? We don’t have to.”
“ Río , make me your mate.”
He groaned, and the flash of pain made my heart burst with a golden light that overtook every one of my senses. The thread that was spun the moment we met, the fibers of which that felt like they’d always been there, strengthened until it was a truly glowing and living thing.
Río’s claws sunk into my hips, and I pierced the skin of his shoulders with my nails before sinking my own blunt teeth at the base of his neck.
With an inevitable thrust, he completed our joining in flesh and blood, and tears streamed down my eyes at the blanket of rightness and peace I felt. As he moved around me, inside of me, I knew that it wasn’t going to fix my problems, but enhance the strength I had to face them myself. My Jaguar. My… mate.
Río released his teeth and licked over my new mark, plunging slowly with his hips while I answered his movements with my own. The storm outside continued to rage, making the moment between us feel even more tender and private. “I love you, Ramona. My mate. Mi alma gemela.” He groaned and held me like I was a treasure.
And in his arms, I… believed him. This love was new, only two months old, but the humming light filling both of us transcended time and space. “My mate. My Río.”
His eyes shimmered and spilled, creating joyous tracks down his angular face. I licked at them, held him, while we made love to each other and settled into the decision we’d made.