Chapter 12
BOOKER
The battle had been swift and brutal. Even with the exiled lynx dead, my wolf wasn’t convinced it was truly over until Caelan stepped forward.
“The threat to the Nightbriar Chain has been neutralized.”
Something unexpected happened. The warriors bowed not just to Caelan, but to Alara and me as well. Their heads dipped low in silent acknowledgment of Alara’s courage and quiet acceptance of my place as her mate.
My wolf settled so suddenly it almost knocked me sideways. For the first time since setting foot on this mountain, the pressure under my skin eased. He approved of the acceptance and how Alara instinctively reached for me even now, her fingers trembling against my arm.
When Caelan turned away to speak to his warriors, I didn’t hesitate another second. I wrapped my mate up against me, hauling her tight to my chest. My arms locked around her as though my body needed to confirm that she was safe.
She sagged into me instantly, trembling from the adrenaline crash. Her breath hitched against my throat. “How did you know I was in trouble?”
I dipped my head, brushing my lips to her hair. “I felt your fear through the bond. I’ll always come for you.”
Her fingers gripped my shoulders like she needed the anchor. When she lifted her face to me, relief and trust shone so fiercely in her gray eyes that something inside my chest cracked wide open. “I love you.”
“Good,” she sniffled, her voice breaking. “Because I love you too.”
My wolf pressed up through me with a deep certainty. She was mine, and I was hers. There was no universe where I would ever let anything separate us again.
Alara was still tucked against my chest when she tilted her head back, her breath warm against my throat. “I don’t want to wait to solidify our bond.”
My wolf lifted his head, ears pricking, a low hum of anticipation vibrating through my ribs.
I brought a hand up to her cheek, brushing my thumb along the soft curve beneath her eye. “If we do this now, there’s no going back. Once the bond is sealed, you’re fully and irrevocably mine. Just as I’ll be yours.”
Her pulse fluttered beneath my fingers, but her gaze didn’t waver. “We already belong to each other. There was no going back from the moment we met.”
I leaned my forehead to hers, exhaling slowly. “We just need somewhere secluded to go.”
She grinned up at me. “There’s a hunting cabin tucked into the pines not too far from here. It belongs to my family, but Caelan rarely goes there, so there will be no interruptions.”
“Sounds perfect.” I swallowed hard, trying to keep myself grounded. She’d been through hell today. She deserved tenderness, but every part of me was already imagining her beneath me, wrapped in my scent, with my mark on her soft skin.
Then she stepped back, reached for the hem of her sweater, and lifted it right over her head.
Underneath, she wore a fitted, short-sleeved shirt that hugged every curve.
I didn’t understand what she intended until she stepped close again and looped the fabric around my waist, tying it with a stubborn little tug.
“No one else needs to see what’s mine,” she muttered.
My wolf preened at her territorial streak. And I nearly dragged her straight into the closest shadow and sealed the bond right there.
Instead, I bit back a laugh and tipped her chin up with two fingers. “I love that you did that.”
She huffed, her cheeks pink. “Good.”
Before I could lead her to the cabin, Keane and Kace approached in their human forms. I curved an arm around Alara’s waist, already planning how quickly I could get her alone again when they finished whatever they needed to say.
I stepped forward with Alara at my side. “Thank you. Both of you.”
Keane snorted. “Didn’t really do much.”
“I’m glad we came. Would’ve hated missing all this. We hope to see you both soon.” Kace grinned as he added, “But not too soon.”
Alara flushed, and my wolf let out a low, warning thrum. Kace laughed under his breath and clapped my shoulder before turning away.
Keane followed him with a grunt, and I exhaled slowly. I trusted them with my life, but I was still grateful when they finally disappeared into the trees. The last thing I wanted right now were naked men anywhere near my mate.
I altered my stance to face Alara again, brushing my thumb along the inside of her wrist just because I could. Her pulse fluttered beneath my touch.
Then Caelan approached, a gleam of approval in his eyes. “I trust you with my sister.”
The words hit harder than any blow I’d taken today. I dipped my head. “I won’t fail her.”
For the first time since meeting him, Caelan’s shoulders eased. His gaze softened when he looked at Alara, then he stepped aside, granting us the unspoken permission to go.
My mate slid her hand into mine, and my wolf surged up in a triumphant growl. I was taking her to seal our bond.
Moving quickly so no one else would stop us to talk, I led Alara into the woods.
It was a good thing we hurried because I barely got the cabin door shut behind us before my wolf surged, the scent of her arousal spurring me on.
Alara’s playful dash ahead when the cabin was finally in sight had triggered every hunting instinct I had.
And she knew exactly what she was doing, teasing me until I snapped.
She laughed breathlessly, racing toward the bed on the opposite wall, but I was on her in seconds.
My hands caught her waist, lifting her easily as I growled low against the shell of her ear.
She shivered in my arms, her lynx purring loud enough for me to feel it vibrate through her back.
The sound went straight to my cock, hardening me further as I carried her the last few steps and tossed her onto the wide mattress.
She bounced once, her hair spilling wild around her flushed face, and her gray eyes dark with need.
“Catch me if you can, wolf,” she taunted in a husky voice.
The mischievous glint in her gaze made my blood roar.
“I already have you, kitten,” I rumbled, stripping off the shirt she’d tied around my waist in one pull. Then I prowled toward the bed, my cock jutting hard and ready. “And I’m never letting go.”
Alara bit her lip, her eyes raking over me hungrily as she peeled off her shirt and tossed it aside.
There was no shyness now. After our first time, she already knew exactly how to drive me wild.
Her bra came next, freeing those perfect breasts that bounced softly as she shimmied out of her leggings and panties, leaving her gloriously bare for me.
I paused at the foot of the bed, drinking her in. The curve of her hips, the rosy flush creeping down her chest, and how her thighs parted just enough to tease me with her glistening folds.
My wolf pushed forward, urging me to mark my mate. To fill her until she was swollen with our future and proudly wore my bite on her shoulder. “I can't hold back anymore, little lynx. My wolf demands I finally mark you inside and out.”
She arched her back playfully, a soft purr escaping her lips. “Then come take me.”
That was all it took. I lunged onto the bed, covering her body with mine. My mouth crashed down on hers in a kiss that started fierce as my hands roamed everywhere. Our tongues tangled, and my teeth nipped at her bottom lip.
I cupped her breast, my thumb circling the hardened nipple until she moaned into my mouth, her nails digging into my shoulders.
“It’s only been hours, but I already missed this,” I growled against her lips before trailing kisses down her neck, nipping at the spot where I'd mark her as mine soon.
Her fingers threaded through my shaggy hair, tugging me closer. “I’m right here, mate. Take what’s yours. No holding back.”
I chuckled darkly, sliding down her body to lavish her breasts with attention. Sucking one nipple deep while pinching the other, I drew out those breathy gasps I loved. Her back bowed, pushing more into my mouth, and I obliged, switching sides until she was squirming beneath me.
Moving lower still, I kissed along her stomach, nipping at the soft skin just below her navel. “Gonna taste you first, kitten. Make you scream my name.”
Spreading her thighs wide, I settled between them and inhaled her sweet, musky scent that drove my wolf insane. My tongue flicked out, tracing her folds slowly at first. Teasing and savoring before I delved deeper.
She bucked against my mouth, but I held her hips in place and licked relentlessly, circling her clit with firm strokes.
“Booker, yes! Oh yes,” she cried, her fingers twisting in the blanket.
I devoured her like she was my last meal—sucking her clit and plunging my tongue inside her tight channel. When I added two fingers and curled them just right to hit the spot that made her shatter, she came undone. Her inner walls clenched hard, and she flooded my mouth with her release.
“That's my good kitten,” I praised, kissing her inner thigh before crawling back up, my cock aching to be inside her. “Gonna make you come again, around my cock this time. Then I’ll mark you as mine.”
She pulled me down for a kiss, tasting herself on my lips as her hands roamed my back, her nails scraping lightly over my skin. “I need you now, Booker.”
I positioned myself at her entrance, rubbing the head of my cock through her slick heat before thrusting in slowly, savoring the tight, wet grip of her pussy. “Fuck, you feel like home. The only one I’ll ever need.”
She moaned and wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me deeper. “More, please. Harder.”
My control frayed at her plea. I flipped my mate onto her stomach, pulling her hips up until she was on her knees, her perfect ass high in the air. One hard smack on her cheek made her gasp and push back, urging me on.
Trailing my fingers down her spine, I gripped her hips and thrust deep in one powerful stroke, burying my cock to the hilt as she cried out in pleasure.
“Mine,” I snarled, one hand sliding up to wrap loosely around her throat from behind while the other held her steady, pounding into her with relentless rhythm.
She met every thrust, her pussy clenching tight around me while her screams echoed off the cabin walls. “Yours, all yours.”
I rubbed her clit in firm circles, feeling her build again. “Come for me, kitten. Milk my cock. Gonna fill you so deep.”
The words sent her over, her body convulsing as she came hard, squeezing me like a vise. I followed with a roar, my come spilling hot and deep, marking her from the inside as waves of pleasure crashed through us.
But it wasn't enough. I pulled out slowly, flipped her onto her back, and took her nipple into my mouth. Then I moved to the spot where her neck and shoulder met. “Ready?”
“Yes, please,” she gasped.
My canines extended, and I bit down, leaving a mating mark she’d wear forever. Her gasps turned to moans as another orgasm rippled through her.
Her lynx surged in response, her claws raking my back in fresh streaks. Then she bit my chest and left her own mating mark that made my wolf howl in triumph. Her claim on me was as fierce as mine on her.
The bond locked in place, making my soul complete. Finally.
When we collapsed, spent and slick with sweat, I gathered her close and nuzzled her neck. “You’re mine now, kitten. Completely.”
“And you’re mine,” she whispered back. “Body and soul, forever.”
Nothing had ever felt as right as our bond being sealed and unbreakable. Whatever the future brought, we’d face it together.