Chapter 37 #2
“Then I’m willing to be your mate, whatever that entails,” I say. “I’ll quit my job, and I won’t leave your side until things with HPAW have settled. I’ll let you do whatever you feel you need to do to keep me safe, but only if you take me back as your mate.”
Caleb blinks. “And when things with HPAW have settled…what then?”
“Then you’ll teach me everything I need to know about being the female alpha. We’ll find a place for me in your pack.” I gulp. “You will fuck your children into me. You will be mine, and only mine.”
Caleb pants into the air between us, his breath warm. He’s practically vibrating with energy, hopefully positive.
“You don’t know what you’re asking for.”
I spread my arms out wide. “I absolutely do.” We’re drawing a crowd. Shifters are closing in on us, their eyes shining in the dark. Caleb ignores them. I do the same.
“Danielle could have killed you,” he says. He sucks on his teeth and moves in closer, towering over me. It’s an intimidating position, but I refuse to back down. “Shifters fight dirty. You had her pinned, and she was seconds away from transforming.”
I shrug. “I didn’t like the way she threw herself at you.”
Caleb licks his lips, his gaze turning heady. He likes that I fought for him.
“Shifters take public claims very seriously,” he murmurs. “You fought another woman for me. Do you know what that means?” His hands find my hips. “You’ve claimed me, Evelyn.”
He spins me around, then pushes me down. My knees land on the cold, mushy ground, and my upper body quickly follows. I just barely catch myself, digging my palms into the ground.
“Does this go both ways?” Caleb asks. “You pretended to be mine, but you chose HPAW.”
I drop my head, ashamed, then peer at Caleb over my shoulder. His eyes are shining, his wolf watching our every interaction. I know what it wants. Caleb has told me about mated pairs fucking in these woods. He wants to prove to his pack that I belong to him.
“I’m yours,” I promise. “I belong to you. I swear it."
His tight grip on my hips is the only thing keeping me upright. I know where this is going, and a full-body shiver runs through me as he tugs my pants and underwear down over my ass.
“Do you want this?” he asks.
I arch my back and push up my ass, presenting myself to Caleb. His responding moan tells me he enjoys it.
“Yes.”
He shoves his hand between my thighs, dragging his fingers through my folds before plunging two inside. I jolt, clenching around him.
“Always so fucking wet.” He groans. “Such a whore for my cock.”
I meet his gaze over my shoulder. “Just as a good mate should be.”
Caleb bares his teeth, his arms flexing as he frees his cock and shoves into me. He’s not gentle, and he doesn’t give me any time to adjust as he pulls back out and drives back in. His fucking is hard, just the way it needs to be.
I don’t care if everybody hates me. I don’t care if they think I’m an undeserving mate. Caleb is mine, and I refuse to let that be confused. Even without our bond, he’s still my mate. He’s chosen me, and I won’t let there be any confusion about my place in his life.
Caleb grunts, his upper body pressing against my back with every thrust. The sound of his hips slapping against my ass is obscene, but I don’t care.
“I’m the only woman who will ever feel this,” I tell him. “Promise it.”
Caleb buries his face against my neck, breathing in my scent. “Only you.” His voice is thick with need, and I hope everybody here hears it.
I look up, finding and locking eyes with Danielle. She’s still by the fire, now wearing a thin dress as she stands beside a man. He’s looking at her with a mildly annoyed expression, one she ignores.
That cocky smirk from before reemerges as she lifts her cup, silently acknowledging my gaze.
Caleb grabs the back of my head, forcing me to look away.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” he hisses. “You will look at nobody but me while I’m inside you.”
He’s about to finish. His moans grow clipped, and he can’t keep his hands still. They slide from my hips to my waist, dragging over my ass before returning to my waist. He pulls out at the last minute, curses, then shoves back inside.
I pant, my head hanging between my shoulders as he finishes inside me.
Caleb groans, dropping his forehead against my back as he pulls my pants back up, covering me. I glance around, relieved to see only a few shifters looking in our direction.
“Don’t worry,” Caleb says. “I didn’t make a spectacle of you. Wolves are territorial, alphas specifically. Watching is a risk most don’t care to take.”
Did Adam see? I sure hope not. I doubt Caleb would let him, either, not after I tried using him to make Caleb jealous.
“Let me see your hand,” Caleb orders. “Your marked one.”
I shift, rolling to the side so I’m sitting on my butt. Caleb has already sorted himself, his pants up and secured at his waist. He’s holding open the coat I removed earlier, and I let him slide it up my shoulders.
Then I give him my hand, but I don’t look.
“It’s changed,” he says.
“What?”
I look, my jaw slack. My marking is still black, but the lines are no longer smudged. They’re crisp, just the way they were before. I flex my fingers, in disbelief.
“Do you feel it?” My voice cracks. I shake my head. “Do you feel our bond again?”
Caleb dips his chin. “I thought I felt it when I pushed inside you, but it’s slight. It’s been flickering in and out.” He shoves a strand of hair out of his eye. “I thought maybe I was imagining it.”
“Well, there’s no getting rid of me now.” I force out a laugh. “If I knew sex would’ve fixed our bond, I would’ve jumped your bones ages ago.”
Caleb snorts, then helps me stand.
“You’re cold.” He turns, shouting into the forest. “Adam!”
I love seeing Adam summoned like a little bitch. I hope it hurts his ego.
Caleb strokes my cheek, drawing my attention. “I have an important meeting in an hour that I can’t miss,” he says. “I need to travel there in my wolf form, so I can’t bring you with me. Adam will take you to your apartment. I’ll be by shortly, I promise.”
He’s leaving? I bite my cheek, then nod. We can talk later.