Chapter 26
Nadia’s wrists still ached as they pulled into the garage, but that was the least of her problems. The alpha male stewing silently next to her was somehow swelling the oxygen in the vehicle. When he cut the engine, she immediately jumped out, pulling in several deep breaths of clean air.
Shutting the door, she made her way inside to the kitchen, not surprised when he followed her. “So, um, let’s talk tomorrow?” She turned to face him, and her breath caught in her lungs.
He deliberately, carefully, shut the door to the garage. “We’re talking now.”
Whoa. Pure, low, deep alpha voice there. Her body reacted with heat even as her brain blared a warning through her entire system. She gulped and looked at him. Blood streaked his jeans and no doubt his black shirt. A purple bruise lined his jaw, and a cut was slowly closing over his left eyebrow.
The knuckles on his right hand appeared shredded.
Instinct had her moving slowly to drop her overlarge purse on the counter.
As soon as he left, she’d dig into the notebooks.
She had to find Solomon and the grimoire, but now didn’t seem to be the time to call him.
She tried for appeasement first. “Um, so I guess I should’ve stayed home tonight.
” Although, then she wouldn’t have the notebooks.
Caidrik’s chin dropped slowly like a bull about to charge. His eyes blazed a raw onyx, and every muscled line in his body appeared tense and ready for battle.
Her abdomen performed a slow roll. Part fear. Part completely something else. A sensation rippled through her, tightening her nipples, and awakening the sensitive nerve endings along her extremities. It was a new feeling and one that made it difficult for her to breathe normally. “Caidrik?”
He growled. Low.
Holy crap.
Something changed in him, just under the surface. His wolf engaged, keeping him in human form, but revealing the primal beast at his core for the briefest of seconds.
She turned and ran. Pure instinct ruled her as she dove into survival mode, a dangerous anticipation heating her blood.
He caught her at the bottom of the stairs, scooping her up with one arm around her waist, and tossed her over his shoulder. Her stomach impacted the hard muscle there, and air whooshed out of her lungs. She stilled, shocked as he started to climb. What in the world?
He reached the top and pivoted, heading straight into her bedroom, where he flipped her over. She landed on her butt on the bed and bounced once.
She sat for a moment as a delicious feeling of fire burned through her. Think. She needed to think.
Watching her, still not saying a word, he slowly tore his shirt over his head. She gulped. Thick muscles played beneath his scratched and bruised skin as he moved. All wolf. All power.
Desire rolled through her in such strength her entire body went hot. What was happening?
His hands went to his belt buckle, and the sound of him ripping it free of his pants echoed loudly in the quiet room.
She launched across the bed, hitting the other side and landing on her feet. Her smile felt wild, as did she.
He didn’t so much as twitch, instead keeping her captured with his gaze as he removed his jeans. Finally, he spoke. “Take off your clothes.”
She laughed, the sound free and challenging. The wolf inside her, the Alpha female, couldn’t make this easy. Didn’t want to. “Not a chance.” Partially turning, she leaped for the window, but he was already on her. Throwing her back on the bed.
“I’m done playing,” he said, his voice still animalistic and low.
“I get that.” She turned, scissored her legs around his waist, and pulled him in for a headlock. Yeah, she knew one move but had never used it. Now seemed to be the time.
He easily slid one arm between her thigh and his neck, forcing her leg open. God, he was strong.
She struggled, enjoying herself, needing to feel that power. Instinctively. “This is a bad idea,” she whispered, clawing her nails into his bare chest.
“This is inevitable,” he grumbled, tearing her sweater in two. The material unraveled, and he tossed it carelessly away.
Definitely inevitable, she knew that now. But the timing wasn’t good. Her body was taking over, and she tried one more time for sanity. “We need to talk about this. Think about it.” The timing, anyway.
“Talking doesn’t do anything.” He snagged a hand in her jeans and tore them right off her without unzipping them.
She yelped, but somehow he protected her skin.
He was always protecting her, even while seriously pissed off.
“You don’t listen. You sure as shit don’t obey.
” On the last word, he rolled to the side, flipped her over, and yanked down her panties. At least he didn’t rip those.
Then his hand landed on her ass.
Hard.
“Hey.” Flat on her stomach on the plush bed, she struggled to get up on her elbows.
He spanked her again. “You wanted to talk. Let’s talk.” Then he smacked her in rapid succession.
Pain and a dangerous heat flared from her butt right to her clit. Through her entire body, actually. “Stop it.” She might have to try to choke him out again, but she couldn’t move.
“No.” Five more hard slaps. “You have zero concern for your own safety and don’t seem to realize there are consequences for your actions. This. Is. One. Of. Them.” He punctuated each word with an even harder slap, the sound echoing around the room. “I’ve been way too patient with you.”
Patient? The guy wouldn’t know patience if it bit him on his hard ass. She struggled furiously, but he flattened his other palm, the big fucking hand, across her lower back to hold her in place. “You are being such a dick right now.” A girl had to have some pride.
“Interesting.” He shifted his weight, pivoting to sit, lifting her with one hand beneath her stomach. She landed hard over his thighs. “Guess I need more leverage.”
Panic caught her as her hair swept the floor. “Hey.”
Then he spanked her in earnest. Not talking, not amused, not even thoughtful.
Full on, hard slaps, echoing around the room.
She struggled but couldn’t get anywhere.
Tears filled her eyes even as her body betrayed her by anticipating each slap.
She wasn’t into pain. Not at all. But the dominance of it all?
Crap.
Finally, he slowed and then stopped, one hand flat on her butt. “Have I made myself clear?”
Words. What were those words? Clear? What did he mean?
He smacked her again, and she groaned. “Obedience, Nadia. When it comes to safety. Promise.”
“Fine. I promise.” Anything to keep from another slap. She’d figure out what she’d just said later.
“Good.” He lifted her, sliding her thighs along his, skin on skin. Her hair flew until she settled. Gently, he wiped the tears off her face. “I can fight anybody to keep you safe, but I don’t want to fight you, too. Got it?”
Numbly, she nodded.
He slid his fingers in her hair, twisted and kissed her. Hard.
She detonated. Every molecule in her body swelled and popped.
Somehow. She closed her eyes, overcome, and kissed him back.
He went deep, his taste filling her, his energy pouring down her body to land in her sex.
She’d never needed like this. Never ached like this.
Every concern she’d had, every caution, was stolen by the wind.
By his kiss. By the hand in her hair, controlling her every movement.
His free hand swept down her bare back, claiming every inch, landing on her abused butt and pulling her against his rigid cock beneath his boxers. She whimpered, trying to get closer to him. Wanting all of him.
It was too late to think. Rationality was gone.
She didn’t care.
He turned, laying her out on the bed, and dropped to his knees. Rough thumbs pressed her thighs apart, and then his shoulders settled in, holding her open. The first lash of his tongue had her crying out. She was wet. Need was too soft of a word for what she was feeling.
She craved him. All of him.
He went at her then, all gentleness gone. She hadn’t realized how much he’d held back before. Not now. Now he took. Anything and everything he wanted, tasting her, tempting her, torturing her. He drove her up fast and she fell over the cliff, crying out as the climax rippled through her.
Then again.
By the third time, she couldn’t see straight. Only after she’d come down, again, whimpering his name, did he relent. He stood and pulled her upright, leaning over to kiss her.
Deep and hard with one hand on her throat.
He paused, leaning back, sparks of silver showing through the blackness of his eyes. “You need to say yes.”
She didn’t ask what about. Fully knew. They should wait.
No doubt. This was dangerous. But it was also deeper than the moment, deeper than wolf pack politics, deeper than this life.
She knew that, somehow, beyond this world.
“Yes.” She had no idea what would come next, but she wanted this bond. Needed it.
His mouth took hers again, the taste full of promise as he scooted her up the bed. Positioning himself at her sex, he slowly moved into her, stretching her, kissing her senseless.
She arched against him, her body awake, the wolf inside her howling. With pleasure. This was really happening.
Finally inside her, he hammered several times, pushing her up again. Then he leaned over her, on both elbows, his chest brushing her mouth.
She didn’t need more. Ancient drums beat in her head, through her body. She levered up, her canines sliding down, and slashed into his pec. Exchanging more than saliva and more than blood. Giving a vow of eternity.
His body stiffened and he cupped the back of her neck, holding her to him. The last of his blood filled her mouth, spicy and dark. It was addicting.
She licked the wound, sealing it.
He released her, grabbed her hips, and pounded inside her again. Deep. All of him.
She rioted around him, clenching, climbing toward another pinnacle. He withdrew and she protested, catching her breath when he flipped her onto her hands and knees. She levered up just in time for him to power inside her again.
The drums got louder.
He grabbed her hips and hammered wildly, filling the room with the sound of flesh on flesh. So much strength. Without warning, he bent over her, and his mouth enclosed her shoulder. Hot and soft, the feeling grounded her. Calmed her. Then he struck. Biting deep, to the bone, he marked her forever.
She jolted and cried out as pain ripped through her entire torso.
Holding on, he increased the force of his thrusts, pounding inside her.
She whimpered and softened, her cheek on the soft comforter, her body not her own.
Wires flicked inside her, burning her nerves.
She coughed and her eyes widened as she climbed again, this time fighting it.
It was too much. Way too much. He pounded so hard her nipples scraped against the comforter, so hard and sensitive it hurt. In a dangerously good way.
She reached the top and fought against falling.
His chuckle was dark, even as her flesh filled his mouth. Somehow, he slapped her ass. Hard.
She shrieked, falling over, diving into an orgasm so strong she stopped breathing for a moment. The waves took her, wrung her out, and spit her out on the other side of reality. She jerked several times and finally mumbled something, not sure what, as she came down, her body going limp.
His teeth sank deeper into her bone, and he shuddered as he came.
Silence surrounded her for the briefest of moments.
Then she came back to the present as he slowly withdrew his teeth and licked her wound clean. Her shoulder was on fucking fire. He kissed the wound and pulled out of her, lifting her with an arm banded around her waist and shoving her beneath the covers, where he joined her.
Spooning her.
She gulped. All right. So. That was done.
They had mated. Completely.
Her mind shut down two seconds before her body did, and she slid into a deep sleep with no dreams.
The sound of screaming woke her up way too early.