Chapter Twenty
Scath, Present Day
Conall lazed in his chair, his bare feet kicked up on an ottoman as he pretended to watch TV. Weeks had passed, and he was done moping, done missing Rey.
The doorbell rang.
He considered not answering it. But it rang again. And again.
“Fuck.” He dropped his feet to the gleaming wood floor and unfolded from his leather chair. He stomped through the hall and flung open the door.
Con froze. “What the fuck?”
“Hello to you, too. Nice to see you, Rey.” She flipped a hand motioning for him to repeat what she’d said.
He eyed her with caution. “Nice to see you, Rey.”
“Nice to see you, too, Con. Won’t you come in, Rey?”
He squeezed his brows together. “Won’t you come in, Rey?” He stepped to the side while she walked through the doorway. His gaze swept from her feet to her head. He’d never seen her in sandals and a sundress. Nice. Her auburn hair bounced on her shoulders. Also nice.
“Would you like to sit down, Rey?” She huffed. “This will get very tiring if I have to talk for both of us.”
Con regained some of his brain cells. He grinned. “Would you like to sit down, Rey? How about something to drink? See, I can talk for myself.”
She angled her head to the side. “I wasn’t sure.” Rey’s assessing eyes glanced around the living room. “It’s warm outside.”
“We’re gonna talk about the weather?” He pointed to a comfy chair. She chose the sofa instead and patted the cushion beside her. He took the hint.
“Okay. Enough about the weather. Why are you here?” When he sat, he cocked an ankle over the opposite knee and stretched his arm out on the back of the couch, careful not to touch Rey.
“You aren’t happy to see me?”
“You know I am.”
“How would I know that? No goodbye. No you were a great lay but that’s it.”
He parted his lips, surprised she didn’t understand why he’d left. “Rey, I’m happy to see you. And I took off because it was the only way to be sure I’d leave.”
“So this is one of those it’s-not-you-it’s-me things?”
“Not sure what that means, but I get the gist. Yeah, it is.”
She curled her knee onto the sofa and swung toward him, her eyes seeking his.
Damn. She was beautiful.
“I couldn’t bear hurting you.” Con let his fingers rest on her shoulder.
“I was warned you’d say that. Am I your mate?”
He yanked his hand away and scrubbed a palm across his jaw. “Yep.”
“Then why don’t you want me? Gods. That sounds so needy, but I don’t mean it that way. It’s just that you were right. You’ve ruined me for anybody else.”
He drew a deep breath and blew it out. “Don’t ever think that I don’t want you. I do. Too much.”
“Bullshit. Get some balls.”
His brows shot up. “You’ve seen my balls.”
“I thought they were bigger. My mistake.” She curved her lips into a sneer.
“Rey, a wolf can kill his mate during the bonding process. That’s a sane wolf. My sanity is in question.”
“I’ll ignore the whole insanity plea. Why would you kill me?” She laced her fingers together in her lap, still twisted toward him, her stare penetrating, determined.
“During mating, a wolf can turn feral and rip out his female’s neck. Though he wouldn’t mean to do it, he would if she didn’t submit. I’ve told you I struggle with my wild beast.”
She slapped him across his face.
Shocked, Con rubbed his cheek. “What was that for?” She was pissed, but he’d been honest.
“For being a coward.”
“A coward, huh?” Con grabbed her arm and yanked her onto his lap.
He squeezed her chin between his thumb and forefinger, bringing her close.
His lips crushed hers in a rough kiss. He slammed his tongue inside.
He licked and sucked until she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
Then, he pulled away. “For your information, I was coming to New York tomorrow.”
She gave him a wary look. “And you let me talk on and on? Why?”
He grinned. “I wanted to hear what you had to say and because you are my mate. Because you’re the most beautiful female in our two realms. Because I love you. Because I need you. And most importantly, because I want you.”
She clasped a hand over her heart, a whoosh of air escaping her mouth. “You’re not afraid?”
“I’m terrified. But I refuse to live without you. You’re mine and I’m keeping you.”
“Do I have any say in the matter?” Rey fluttered her lashes.
He scrubbed a fist across his jaw. “No.”
“Okay then.”
“Okay what?”
“Okay. I’ll be your mate.”
“Did I propose?”
“In your own way, you stubborn wolf.”
“It’ll be dangerous, Rey. I’m dangerous.”
“I’ve got you wrapped around my little finger.”
Gods. He’d missed her. How did he ever believe he could walk away? “I was waiting to examine a few problems.”
“Like what?”
“Where will we live? If you want me to move to New York, I will. I could portal to my stronghold every day.”
“Complicated?”
“A bit, but worth it.”
“You don’t like the city.”
He clenched his jaw. “My wolf has trouble. Too much noise. The smells.”
Her brows shot up. “Do you have police here?”
“Yep. Gaffers. And I have pull. Could likely get you on the force.”
“I think we can discuss the issues later.”
“Agreed. Do you have any questions?”
“I do. Do you think we’re moving too fast. We’re giving whirlwind a whole new meaning.”
“We’re mates, Rey. No such thing as courtship. It’s probably hard for a human to grasp. Any other questions?”
“Yes, but we can look for answers together. What’s the next step?”
“The big one. The one I’ve been waiting for since I first met you.
” Con exploded off the couch with Rey, scooping her up in his arms. He raced to his bedroom and set her on her feet.
He was about to rip off her clothes but forced himself to slow down.
Deep breath. Tearing his own shirt overhead, he stalked closer.
After slipping his clumsy fingers under the straps of her dress, he slid them down her arms as far as they would go. They were stuck.
“Fuck. How do I get you out of this dress?”
She pointed over her shoulder. “Zipper.”
Con reached around her to complete his task. Her sundress fell to the floor.
When she drew a deep breath, her breasts pushed over the top of her bra. After he unclasped the hook, he guided it down her arms.
Cupping his hands to her full, firm breasts, he leaned forward, licking one nipple and then the other. When he looked at Rey, his lids heavy, he knew she saw his beast but wasn’t afraid.
****
Rey studied the wolf in Con’s amber eyes. He was examining her, hungry, waiting his turn. She swallowed hard but knew he would never hurt her.
Con slid her panties down her legs after she kicked off her sandals. She steadied herself with a hand on his shoulder to step out of them.
“You,” she said, her voice husky. lustful.
He wasn’t so careful with his own clothes. He tore off his loose black sweats, his feet already bare.
Her lips parted when she stared at Con’s aroused length. He was bigger, if that were possible. Thicker. And he was drawing deep breaths as if to calm himself.
Barely able to whisper, he demanded. “On your hands and knees.”
“Will it hurt? The bite?”
“No. I’ll release a hormone. No pain.” His response was guttural.
“Are you sure we’re mates?”
“Yes. Get on the fucking bed, Rey, before I lose control.” His fingers tangled in the long hair on the sides of his head.
“Do all matings work out?”
He fisted his hands. “No. They don’t.”
“What happens?”
“If the female moves during the bonding, the wolf turns feral. He demands complete submission. So will I.”
She stared. “You won’t hurt me, Con.”
“How do you know?” he growled.
“Because you love me.”
No more talk. His patience wore out. Con charged toward her, grabbing her and tossing her onto the bed. “On your fucking hands and knees.”
“You love me. You won’t hurt me.”
He wondered if she was reassuring him or herself. “He needs you now. I need you.”
With trembling legs, she crawled into position, glancing over her shoulder at Con.
He combed his fingers through his hair, his amber eyes wild as he got behind her on his knees. Without any foreplay, he spread her thighs, fisted his cock, and rammed inside with a loud grunt.
She screamed. Damn. That hurt. But he held still until she relaxed and stretched to accommodate him.
He squeezed the muscle between her neck and shoulder. “Do not move when I bite. No matter what. It triggers the wolf.”
Con inched in and out until she moaned with pleasure, loving the slide of him. The fullness. The friction. The possession.
His hands slapped to her hips, and he dug his fingers in. She’d have bruises there.
Con pulled out. Pushed in. Again and again. Always harder. Always faster. Always deeper.
Rey’s head fell to the mattress as her arms gave way against his assault. She wouldn’t last. “Con. I’m coming.” Heat crawled from her toes to her thighs. Then she felt his lips at her neck, and she sensed his beast waiting. He bit. “Oh, Con. I’m ... I’m...”
When he marked her, when his teeth pierced her skin, bright lights flashed in her mind. Stars spread through her body as she exploded. “Yes. Yes.”
Con held on, and she didn’t move. She couldn’t.
He jacked in and out of her until his warm seed filled her.
Only then did she sense the satisfied beast retreat, leaving them alone.
Con loosened his tight grip, but his groin continued to press to her ass for what seemed like a long time.
When he rolled off, she collapsed to her stomach. They remained still.
She was almost asleep when Con pulled her on top of him. He captured her face between his palms and smiled, his eyes hooded and cloudy. “Mate.”
“Mate,” she said, barely a whisper.
He studied her, finally speaking, his voice low, mellow, brimming with emotion. “I wasn’t looking for you, Rey. You were a surprise. But now that I have you, even the rest of our lives together will not be enough. I will love you into the Evermore and beyond.”
With his declarations, Con’s muscles relaxed, his breathing steadied, and his tense jaw loosened. His wild wolf may never be tamed, but for the time being, Rey thought he was at peace.
Tears stung her eyes. He was everything she’d never dreamed of. How could she? How could she have imagined someone like him? He was wild, untamed, but he was smart and playful and loving. He was Con. He was hers. Forever.
The End
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