CHAPTER 60
MURR
Thess’s arrival has cleared my mind of all its shadows.
For so long, I have feared that there was something truly broken inside of me, something to be ashamed of.
That all the drakoni are struggling with the loss of our mind-touch is a strange relief.
It is not something because of me, or something I did.
This means there is no reason why I would not be a good mate for Dakota.
No reason to hold myself back from giving her the claiming bite, no reason I would not make her mine in every way.
Just thinking about it makes my heart surge with yearning.
More than the physical release, I want the partnership.
I want to know that I’m no longer alone in the world, because my mate is here.
Even if we cannot have a mental bond, we will have this to tie us to one another.
I slide my hand to the back of her neck and hold her as I kiss her again.
Each time my mouth lands on hers, I am reminded how wonderful kisses are.
How did I not know what they were before I met her?
Impossible. How can anyone overlook just how erotic it is to touch lips, to taste one another?
To tangle tongues together? I end the kiss as slowly as possible, taking my time to pull my mouth away from hers, because I love the dazed expression on her face when I do.
“Murr wife Dakota?” I ask.
“You want to be with me…forever?” She looks emotional, her eyes shining. “Keep in mind I’m a package deal—I have a daughter already.”
I have always known that mating Dakota would mean that Rabbit would be part of our family. It is not a problem to me, but something to be overjoyed in. “Rabbit daughter.”
Dakota laughs, sinking her hands into my mane. “Okay, then. Let’s do it. Marriage. Yes!”
Elated, I pull her in for another kiss. My fangs burn with the venom that fills them, my teeth aching with heat.
She moans against me, her nails lightly digging into my skin and sending pricks of arousal all through my already heated body.
I kiss her again, and again, reluctant to leave the heated well of her mouth, but she needs to know what a drakoni mating looks like.
I will not assume it is the same as a human mating. “Dakota…”
“Mmm?” Her eyes are glazed, and just the sight of that heavy-lidded gaze makes me want to kiss her all over again.
“Drakoni…wife…bite.”
The soft look in her eyes goes away. “Beg pardon?”
“We…wife. Bite. Bite make…together.” I use a hand gesture to show her what I mean. I lace my fingers, ignoring the throb of my fangs. “Is drakoni way.”
“One bite?” she asks. When I nod, her gaze goes to my mouth. “Will it hurt?”
“Is good bite,” I reassure. “Big pleasure. Murr never hurt Dakota.”
Her eyes go soft again. “I know you wouldn’t. Where do you need to bite me?”
I reach out and stroke her throat. “Neck. Here.” I tap the spot with my thumb-claw, and just talking about this makes my fangs drip heat onto my tongue. “Good bite.”
She leans into my touch, her eyes closing.
Her tongue darts over her lips, wetting them, and our kissing has made her mouth flushed and pink and swollen.
The sight just makes me want to kiss her all over again.
Everything makes me want to kiss Dakota.
She could ask me to build a fire and I would want to plant my mouth on hers, simply because now it is possible.
Now everything is possible, and I do not have to fight my need for her any longer.
“Ready?” I ask.
Her scent changes from aroused to nervous. She pulls away and glances around. “Where do you want me? Should we get somewhere more comfortable?”
Do we need to? I want her to feel good, though, and if she wants a more comfortable spot, we will find one.
I glance around and see nothing but heaps of the square piles of metal.
Cars. They look like a good height, at least. I pick Dakota up by her hips—enjoying her gasp of surprise—and she flings her arms around my neck.
Carrying her, I find a car that seems to be a good height and set her on the front of it. “This good?”
“I can make this work,” she says, hooking her heel into my back and tugging me toward her with her foot. “Can we kiss some more?”
I chuckle, because kissing is my favorite thing to do. “Many, many kisses.”
And now I need to kiss her enough to turn her scent from nervous back to excitement again.