Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Emily
The sheets cool my heated skin as he lays me down slowly, savoring each second of contact between us.
He stands at the edge of the bed, shrugging off his open shirt, his muscles shifting beneath his skin, revealing broad shoulders that narrow to a lean waist. Light brown hair scatters across his chest, thinning into a trail before it disappears beneath his waistband.
The ridges of his abdomen tighten as he unfastens his belt, the metal buckle clinking as he pulls it free from the loops.
Moonlight from the window casts his tall, athletic frame in silver light as he steps out of his pants.
His cock springs free, already hard and flushed, the thick length of him heavy between powerful thighs corded with muscle that flex with each subtle shift.
When he joins me on the mattress, the bed dips beneath him. His body hovers over mine, supported on his forearms as he lowers his head for a kiss, gentle at first before it deepens, his tongue stroking mine in a prelude of more to come.
“Beautiful,” he murmurs, lips brushing mine before he pulls back to trail his fingers along the curve of my collarbone.
The calluses on his fingertips send shivers racing across my body as his touch drifts lower, tracing the swell of my breast before circling my nipple, which tightens in immediate response.
My back arches into his touch, seeking more pressure, more contact. Jared replaces his fingers with his mouth, the wet heat of his tongue drawing a gasp from me as my hands fly to his hair, fingers tangling in the thick strands.
“More,” I whisper, not caring how demanding I sound.
He hums his agreement, the vibration traveling through my sensitive flesh. His lips move to my other breast while his hand slides down my stomach, tracing patterns across my skin and leaving fire in its wake.
When he reaches for my underwear, I lift my hips, and he hooks his fingers beneath the waistband, drawing the black lace down my legs with tantalizing slowness. The cool air of the bedroom washes over my sex before the heat of Jared’s palm replaces it as he cups me.
A moan escapes my throat as his fingers find my wetness, slipping through swollen folds to find the sensitive nub hidden among my curls. He knows how to touch me, where to apply pressure, and when to ease back. The last month together has taught him my body’s responses as thoroughly as I know his.
His mouth continues its journey downward, leaving a trail of kisses across my ribs, my stomach, my hipbones. Each spot receives the same devoted attention as he maps territory anew that he’s already committed to memory.
My skin prickles with goose bumps as his breath warms my lower belly, his hands spreading my thighs wider to accommodate his broad shoulders.
“Jared,” I breathe his name, half plea, half warning.
He licks his lips. “Patience.”
The word would irritate me from anyone else, but from him, with his lips inches from where I need them most, it sends a fresh surge of wetness between my thighs.
His fingers trace lazy circles along my inner thighs, coming close to my center before retreating.
The teasing touch drives my pulse higher, my breathing more ragged.
When his mouth replaces his fingers, the first contact of his tongue on my clit sends a jolt of pleasure through me so intense that my hips buck upward.
Jared’s strong hands press my thighs back down, holding me in place as his talented tongue does its work.
Coherent thought becomes impossible as he alternates between broad strokes and focused attention that has me clutching at the sheets.
The sound of my own harsh breathing fills the room, punctuated by soft, wet noises from between my legs.
Heat builds in my core, tension coiling tighter with each movement of his mouth. My fingers twist in his hair, guiding him to the spot I need him most.
He follows, increasing the pressure of his tongue while sliding a finger inside me, followed by a second, curving upward to find the sensitive spot deep inside and massaging it until my vision blurs at the edges.
“There,” I gasp as stars explode behind my eyelids. “Right there.”
The dual sensations of his mouth on my clit and his fingers stroking inside me push me toward the edge. My thighs begin to tremble, my inner muscles clenching around his fingers as the pressure builds to an unbearable peak.
When release comes, it washes through me in waves that turn my bones to liquid, my back arching off the bed as pleasure radiates outward from my center.
Jared doesn’t stop, drawing out my orgasm with relentless attention until the sensation borders on too much, my hand pushing weakly at his shoulder in surrender.
With a final kiss to my inner thigh, he pulls away to crawl up my body. His cock slides through my slick folds as he positions himself above me, the hard length of him hot against my sensitive flesh.
His eyes meet mine, pupils blown wide with desire, his breathing as ragged as my own. “What do you want?”
The question, always the question, reminds me how different he is from Auren, who took what he wanted without asking. Jared waits, poised above me, his body trembling with the effort of holding back.
I reach between us to guide him to my entrance, my other hand cupping his jaw. “You, inside me.”
The first push of his cock stretches me in the most delicious way, my body already relaxed and ready from his earlier attention.
He sinks into me inch by inch, both of us groaning at the sensation of being joined.
Once fully seated, he stills, his forehead coming to rest on mine while our breaths mingle.
“Move,” I urge, rolling my hips upward.
Jared withdraws until his tip sits at my entrance before thrusting back in, each stroke hitting perfectly, the angle allowing him to grind against my clit with every forward movement.
His purr starts again, the rumbling vibration traveling through his chest to where our bodies join, and my inner muscles clench around his cock in response.
“Fuck, Em,” he groans, his rhythm breaking for a beat before surging back, stronger. “You feel so good.”
The praise washes over me, fueling my desire as I match his movements, lifting my hips to meet each thrust. My fingers dig into his shoulders, leaving crescent marks that will fade by morning. His mouth finds my neck, teeth grazing the sensitive spot below my ear before moving to my shoulder.
The familiar pressure begins building again, my second orgasm approaching faster than the first. Jared’s thrusts become more forceful, the controlled pace giving way to more urgency. His hands grip my hips, angling me to take him deeper.
“I want to knot you tonight,” Jared whispers into my ear, rough with desire as he continues thrusting into me.
The words send a fresh wave of heat through my body, tightening my muscles around him.
We’ve done this before, but not often. Being locked together takes time and space we don’t always have.
Tonight, with no early morning obligations and in the privacy of our home, the possibility unfurls between us.
“Yes,” I breathe, turning my head to catch his mouth with mine.
His lips curve, and he shifts, withdrawing before sinking back in with excruciating slowness.
He withdraws again and reaches for the drawer in our bedside table, retrieving a bottle of lubricant, and my pulse quickens with anticipation.
With a groan, he pulls all the way out. “Roll over.”
Pulse racing, I turn onto my stomach and rise to my hands and knees. The position leaves me open, every inch on display, but Jared’s palm settling on my lower back grounds me. I hear the snap of the cap, followed by the sound of him slicking his shaft with the lubricant.
“Still okay?” he checks, one hand coming to rest on my hip.
I push back toward him in invitation. “More than okay.”
His blunt head notches at my entrance again, the additional lubricant easing his way as he slides inside in one long, smooth motion. The angle from behind lets him penetrate deeper, and I drop from my hands to my forearms, changing the position to take him all the way.
Jared groans at the adjustment, his fingers tightening on my hips. His thrusts build, pleasure spiraling outward from where we’re joined. Each forward movement drives him deeper, his pelvis grinding into me in a way that sends sparks shooting up my spine.
The first hint of his knot forms, the base of his shaft beginning to swell with each thrust. The sensation draws a moan from me as my body prepares for what comes next.
“Soon,” Jared pants, one hand sliding around to find my clit. His fingers circle the sensitive bundle of nerves, applying enough pressure to make my thighs tremble. “Want you to come first.”
The dual stimulation of him buried inside me and his fingers working my clit builds the pressure. My inner walls pulse, drawing another groan from deep in his chest. The sound vibrates through both our bodies, his Alpha purr rumbling in response to my pleasure.
When his knot begins to swell in earnest, the stretch burns at first, a delicious, consuming heat that hovers at the edge of discomfort before yielding to intense fullness. Jared’s movements become shorter, more shallow, the growing knot limiting how far he can withdraw.
“That’s it,” he murmurs, straining with the effort of maintaining control. “Take all of me.”
The encouragement pushes me closer to the edge, my body responding both to his words and the increasing pressure of his knot. One final, firm circle of his fingers over my clit sends me careening into orgasm, my inner muscles clamping down on his cock in rhythmic waves.
As my climax peaks, Jared drives forward once more, his knot pushing past the tight ring of muscle at my entrance to lodge inside me. The sensation of being stretched extends my orgasm, drawing a cry from my throat that echoes in our bedroom.
“Em,” Jared gasps, his body going rigid behind me as his own release hits.
The hot pulse of his seed filling me triggers another wave of pleasure, and my inner walls clamp down in a vice-like lock as my channel ripples around his hard length.
I turn my head to find his mouth, kissing him over my shoulder as our bodies lock together. The slight shift in position causes his knot to rub spots inside me that send aftershocks of pleasure rippling through my core.
Carefully, Jared guides us both onto our sides, spooning me from behind while remaining joined. His arm wraps around my waist, holding me to him as small tremors continue to run through both our bodies.
The hum of our bond passes between us, confirming this is real, we are real, and I didn’t make a mistake this time.
“Perfect,” he murmurs into my hair, his breath warm on my neck. “You’re perfect.”
I reach back to find his hip, my fingers tracing the curve of muscle there. “You, too.”
We lie together, breathing in tandem, as his knot pulses inside me.
Each subtle throb sends a fresh trickle of his release deeper, triggering tiny contractions in my own body.
The biological imperative of it, his body designed to ensure his seed remains where it can take root, stirs a primal instinct within me.
My teeth find his bicep where it crosses in front of me, biting down in the spot I know drives him wild. The action draws a surprised gasp from him, followed by a groan as his cock jerks inside me, releasing another spurt.
“Careful,” he warns, though his arousal contradicts the admonishment. “Keep that up, and we’ll be here all night.”
“Are you saying you’re not up for the challenge?” I ask, soothing the bite with my tongue.
His knot gives another pulse, and he buries his face in my neck with a groan. “I’ll do my best, but don’t hold it against me if I pass out.”
I laugh, the movement causing interesting sensations where we’re joined. “Poor Alpha. Can’t keep up?”
The taunt earns me a gentle nip at my shoulder, his teeth grazing the skin without breaking it. “I’ll show you ‘keep up’ once this knot goes down.”
“Promises, promises.” I nestle into his embrace, enjoying the solid warmth of his body curled around mine.
Jared’s breathing slows, his body heavy and warm behind me as the tension drains from us both. He kisses the back of my shoulder as his arm tightens around my waist in a protective gesture rather than possessive.
“Hey, Em,” he says quietly.
“Mm?” I murmur, lids at half-mast.
“I’ve been thinking about us.” His thumb traces a slow line along my hip. “About making things… formal. Eventually.”
The languid satisfaction that filled me vanishes.
“Not now,” he adds, sensing the change in me. “I’m not asking for an answer. And definitely not tonight, while we’re still locked together.” A soft huff of laughter follows. “But I wanted you to know I want it. When and if you do.”
The idea of a registered pack, of saying yes to that kind of permanence, fills me with a heady mix of excitement and fear.
I gave everything up once, and it had crashed and burned around me.
Afterward, independence became my armor, and the thought of setting it aside again quickens my pulse.
Not because I doubt Jared, but because some small part inside still doubts me.
“I appreciate you telling me,” I say, turning my head far enough to catch his jaw with my lips. “And thank you for not demanding an answer right away.”
He smiles into my hair. “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”
I settle once more, letting his presence anchor me as my thoughts drift.
Paperwork. Registries. Names on file. Making things official brings with it a certain level of protection for both of us.
And to be able to tell everyone that Jared is my bondmate…
The thought prickles under my skin in a good way, even if there’s also fear.
But as I lie there, Leif once again invades my thoughts. Pale. Guarded. Alone.
Curled in the safety of Jared’s arms, I can’t shake the image of Leif running from the party, knowing that soon he’ll have no choice but to face whatever he fled tonight.