14. Rune
FOURTEEN
RUNE
Rune led Maple into his sprawling gardens, each step carrying the weight of inevitability.
The conversation she'd been pressing for since that explosive moment in his dining room could no longer be avoided.
His dragon prowled restlessly, demanding he claim what was his, while his rational mind screamed warnings about the destruction love could bring.
Three centuries of careful control, he thought grimly, undone by a woman I've known for two days.
The garden paths wound through meticulously maintained terraces, each level showcasing different aspects of desert beauty.
Ancient saguaro cacti stood sentinel beside blooming palo verde trees, their delicate yellow flowers catching the last rays of sunlight.
Native wildflowers painted splashes of color against red rock formations, while the subtle sound of running water promised sanctuary ahead.
Maple walked beside him in companionable silence as her sharp green eyes took in every detail with the curiosity that had drawn her to his territory.
She moved with unconscious grace, her silk blouse catching the desert breeze and her dark hair gleaming in the fading light.
The mate bond thrummed between them, pulling tighter with each shared breath.
She's already essential, Rune realized with dawning horror. Two days, and I can't imagine existing without her.
The massive stone fountain came into view as they rounded the final curve, its three tiers carved from the same red sandstone as the canyon walls.
Water cascaded in gentle sheets, creating a symphony of sound that had soothed him through countless solitary evenings.
Tonight, however, the fountain's beauty paled beside the woman standing next to him.
They stopped at the fountain's edge just as the sun touched the horizon, painting the sky in shades of molten gold and deep crimson.
The desert stretched endlessly before them, a landscape both harsh and breathtaking that had been home to his bloodline for millennia.
But watching Maple's face as she took in the view—the wonder in her eyes, the slight parting of her lips as beauty overwhelmed her—struck him with revelation.
This is what I've been missing, he thought, his chest tightening with emotion. Seeing my world through her eyes. Sharing instead of guarding.
For three centuries, he'd experienced every sunset alone, every achievement in isolation, every moment of beauty filtered through the lens of solitary existence.
Now, imagining a lifetime of shared sunsets, of watching wonder bloom across her expressive features night after night, filled him with longing so intense it nearly brought him to his knees. And terrified him beyond reason.
Maple turned to face him fully, her green eyes searching his face with that archaeologist's intensity he was learning to crave. "So are you going to tell me now why the mate bond terrifies you so much?"
Rune took a deep breath, tasting desert air and the subtle scent of roses that seemed to follow her everywhere.
"Yes, and the reason I'm terrified of the mate bond has nothing to do with you, Maple.
" His voice came out rougher than he intended, centuries of careful control fracturing. "You're perfect exactly as you are."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Why are you so terrified then?" she asked softly, stepping closer until the heat of her body began to mingle with his own.
The question hung between them, sharp enough to cut through every defense he'd built. Rune closed his eyes briefly, seeing his father's hollow face, remembering the stench of alcohol and despair that had filled the mansion's halls during those final, devastating months.
"Because you make me want things I never thought I would want—things I denied myself for three centuries because I was terrified of loving someone that much.
" He paused for a moment. "But with you," he continued, his hands clenching at his sides to keep from reaching for her, "I cannot deny myself anymore.
I cannot deny our mate bond, as much as that may terrify me. "
Maple's expression gentled with understanding, but she waited for him to continue, giving him the space to share at his own pace.
"I'm terrified of love because of what happened with my father," he said finally. "It was devastating and impossible to witness and it changed me. Hardened me." His voice dropped. "Until you came along and broke down every wall I'd built."
"What happened to your father?" she asked softly.
Rune's jaw clenched, the old pain rising like a tide.
"He died of a broken heart. Drank himself to death after my mother—his fated mate—died of a rare illness.
I watched the mate bond consume him so utterly that when she was gone, he couldn't survive without her.
I swore I would never let the mate bond control me the way it controlled him. "
The words hung heavy in the desert air, holding the weight of three centuries of fear and carefully maintained isolation.
But instead of the pity or horror he expected, Maple simply reached for his hand, her fingers intertwining with his with devastating gentleness.
Warmth flooded through him at the contact, the mate bond singing with satisfaction.
Her touch anchored him, grounded him in a way that defied every lesson he'd learned about the dangers of emotional dependence.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Rune," she said, her voice carrying genuine compassion.
"I'm sorry you not only lost your mother but also your father.
That's an unimaginable pain. I'm fortunate to still have my parents, even though we aren't exactly close.
But I know if I ever lost them it would be devastating. "
Her honesty, her refusal to offer empty platitudes or try to minimize his trauma, struck him like lightning. This was why she was different—why she was dangerous to every carefully constructed defense he possessed.
"I lost my whole world after my father died," Rune admitted, his voice cracking slightly.
"I blamed the mate bond, blamed fate for taking them away from me, and swore I would never be controlled by destiny.
That's why I destroyed all those claim markers.
That's why I've been pushing you away emotionally since we met. "
Maple's free hand rose to cup his face, her thumb brushing across his cheekbone with reverence. The gesture nearly undid him completely.
"Rune," she said, her voice steady and sure, "I may not understand everything about this bond between us yet, but I know I care about you. And I know that I won't ever let you fall apart alone anymore. I'll always be here for you, and I want to be part of your life—if you'll let me."
Something inside Rune's chest cracked open permanently, three centuries of careful isolation crumbling like ancient stone.
Looking into her eyes—those brilliant green depths that held no fear, no judgment, only fierce determination and growing love—he realized he didn't want to push her away anymore.
He wanted this magnificent woman who was offering to be his anchor in a world that had felt empty for far too long. For once in his carefully controlled existence, he was ready to let someone in.
Rune leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss that spoke of surrender and promises, of hopes he'd buried and dreams he'd never dared voice.
The kiss was slow and deep, reverent and claiming all at once, pouring three centuries of loneliness and two days of desperate longing into the connection between them.
Maple kissed him back with equal passion, her hands fisting in his shirt as she pressed closer, offering her own promises and love and unwavering support through the press of her lips and the soft sigh that escaped her throat.
The kiss held centuries of longing, lifetimes of loneliness poured into that perfect connection between their lips. But Rune had never been a man who could hide in moments—not when truth demanded action.
He broke the kiss, his hands still framing her face, his dragon roaring inside him with triumph and need. "I'm done running." His voice was rough, stripped bare of the careful control he'd worn as armor. "From you. From this bond. From myself."
Maple's green eyes glowed with understanding, her hands resting against his chest where his heart hammered a frantic rhythm.
He didn't wait for her reply. Instead, he lifted her, his arms wrapping around her waist with effortless strength.
She melted against him, her legs winding around his hips as he carried her deeper into the gardens, past the fountain, toward a place he'd avoided for three centuries.
The mossy clearing lay tucked between ancient red rock formations, a soft carpet of green thriving in the sheltered space where a natural spring kept the ground perpetually damp.
Moonflowers climbed the rocks, their white blooms just beginning to open as dusk surrendered to night.
This was where his parents had first consummated their bond, where his father had claimed his mother under a sky full of stars.
I'm not repeating his mistakes, Rune thought fiercely as he lowered Maple onto the soft moss. I'm making my own choices.
She lay back, her hair spreading like dark silk across the green, her eyes watching him with a mixture of trust and hunger that made his chest tighten. The first silver edge of the moon appeared over the canyon rim, casting a pale glow across her skin.
Rune knelt beside her, his movements deliberate. This wasn't about possession tonight, though his dragon clamored for the claiming mark. This was about devotion.
He started with her silk blouse, undoing each button with slow precision, his fingers brushing the warm skin beneath.
The fabric whispered open, revealing the lace bra that cupped her breasts, and he unhooked it, sliding the straps and shirt down her arms until she was bare to the waist. Her breath caught, but she didn't speak.
She simply watched him worship her with his eyes before his hands continued.
He removed her jeans next, the denim sliding down her lean legs.
Then her lace panties followed, then her shoes.
When she lay completely bare before him in the moonlit clearing, Rune felt a surge of possessiveness so profound it nearly stole his breath.
Not because she was exposed, but because she was offering herself—this brilliant, fierce, independent woman was giving him her vulnerability.
"You're so beautiful," he murmured, his voice thick with need.
Then he leaned down and began his pilgrimage across her skin.
Starting at her neck, he kissed the pulse point where her life beat strong and steady.
Then down her collarbone, tracing the elegant line with his lips.
When he reached her breasts, he paused, giving each the attention they deserved.
He lavished until she arched beneath him, gasps turning into moans that echoed in the quiet clearing.
His dragon purred with satisfaction at every sound she made.
"Rune," she breathed, grabbing at his hair.
He then worked his way down her stomach, kissing the bronzed skin marked by years of fieldwork under the blazing sun. Then down her thighs, where muscle curved strong from hiking and climbing. Down her legs to her feet, then back up again, a slow ascent that brought him finally between her thighs.
She was already wet for him, her folds glistening in the moonlight. The sight made his cock ache with need. But he ignored his own hunger.
This is for her.
He leaned in and licked her slowly, a first taste that drew a loud gasp from her lips.
Then he dove deeper, learning her with his mouth—the sensitive folds, the perfect peak of her clit, the hidden depths where his tongue could explore.
She grabbed his hair, her fingers tightening, guiding him where she wanted more.
He obeyed, thrusting his tongue in rhythm with the rising tide of her pleasure, feeling through the bond how tightly she coiled, how close she hovered to breaking. When he inserted two fingers inside her, thrusting in counterpoint to his tongue on her clit, she shattered.
Her orgasm exploded outward, her body arching off the mossy ground as convulsions rocked her. But Rune didn't stop until she was fully sated, until she fell back onto the moss with a sigh of deep contentment and a smile of pure satisfaction lighting her face.
He stood then, peeling off his own clothes—his henley, jeans, boots, and boxers—until he stood naked before her. She stared up at him with barely leashed hunger, her eyes dark with renewed need.
"Get down here," she commanded, her voice husky.
He lay beside her on the moss. "Take what you need."
She climbed atop him, straddling his hips with that natural grace he adored.
Her small hand braced against his chest as she reached between them with her free hand, guiding his hard cock to her slick entrance.
When she sank down on him slowly, the feeling was perfection.
She was tight, warm, and perfectly made for him.
Then she began rocking back and forth, the motion maddening.
His dragon roared again, demanding the mark, the completion of their bond.
Not yet, even as he began thrusting up into her. Not tonight. But soon.
Their rhythm soon turned primal. He grabbed her ass, guiding her as friction built to unbearable heights. Within minutes, her second orgasm ripped through her, and she collapsed against his chest as her inner walls clenched his cock with devastating force.
His own release followed, violent and hot, his seed spilling deep inside her as his body shuddered under hers. The bond sang between them, brighter than ever, yet still awaiting its final seal.
They lay there for long minutes under the moonlight, her head pillowed on his chest as his hand stroked her back.
"You mean the world to me," he said quietly, the words feeling both terrifying and right.
Maple turned her face. "I feel like this is where I belong."
He knew then, with absolute certainty, that he would do whatever it took to stop fighting himself. He would keep this woman by his side. The old fear—of loving too much and losing her—still lingered, but it had been overshadowed by a newer, more compelling terror.
The fear of never getting the chance to love her at all.