Chapter 30
Selene
Jared’s muscles go rigid. After all we’ve been through, I know it’s not because he doesn’t want this. If anything, I suspect it’s because he wants it so much but thinks he has to be a gentleman while I’m still recovering. Yes, my injuries from the ropes hurt, but I don’t care. I want this.
“Selene,” his voice is pained. “We shouldn’t.”
I look up into his hazel eyes. “I know you love me, Jared.”
“Of course I do,” he replies emphatically.
“Then make me yours.”
“I want to, gorgeous. God, do I want to, but you’ve been through hell tonight. I don’t want us to do this now, then have you wake up regretting it in the morning.”
“That won’t happen. I could never regret this, not with you.
” His resolve is wavering, I can tell. “I thought you were dead. Corbin he… he trapped me in a nightmare. That’s how he took me.
” Jared strokes up and down my spine, soothing me.
“Then when I was running, and he caught me, I thought I was going to die. I’m not making this decision out of fear, I promise.
Tonight made something clear to me—I love you, Jared.
I don’t want to go another moment without completing our bond. ”
“You’re sure?”
“I am. Are you?”
He turns off the water, then hoists me into his arms and steps out onto the bathroom tiles. “Nothing would make me happier than being called yours for the rest of our lives.”
Jared’s lips meet mine in a tender kiss, then he gently sets me on my feet and grabs a fluffy white towel to dry me off.
I wrap the soft towel around myself while he uses another one to remove the water droplets from his own skin.
Jared secures his towel round his waist, then leads me through the bathroom door. “Let’s go to bed, my mate.”
The mattress dips slightly as we sit opposite each other. Jared cants his head, lips pursed in thought. “How exactly do we complete the bond?” he asks, stroking a hand over my bare shoulder and down my arm.
I intertwine our fingers. “You’ll need to partially shift into your demon form so you can give me your bonding bite. You’ve been practicing shifting with Huxley, right?”
“Yeah. I’m still a little slow with my full shift, but I’ve got my partial shift under control.”
“Good.” He still looks nervous, so I squeeze his hand. “Don’t worry, it’s not something you can do wrong. Your instincts will take over, and it will feel natural.”
The tightness in his shoulders dissipates. “How did you know that was my next question?”
“Because I know you.” I lean forward, my thumb stroking over his cheekbone as I place a gentle kiss to his lips.
Even though I know it wasn’t real, I’m still shaken after The Raven showed me Jared’s death.
I can’t help but touch him, grounding myself with the reminder that he’s really here, that we’re both safe now.
“What about you? You don’t have a shifted form, so I’m assuming witches do something different?” he asks, hazel eyes alight with equal parts anticipation and a thirst for knowledge.
“That’s right. Witches don’t have a bond bite. I’ll leave a sliver of my magic in your heart, and a small mark will appear on your chest, kind of like a tattoo.”
“Good. I want that.” Jared kisses me softly, and I melt into him. After a moment he pulls back just long enough to murmur against my lips, “I don’t know if it’s the demon in me or the man—probably both—but I want your mark on me.”
Our lips meet again, but it’s different this time. Rather than sweet assurances that we’re both still here, still alive and together, this kiss is longer, deeper. It’s the sort of kiss that leaves you breathless and desperate for more.
I fall back against the pillows, and Jared follows me down, moving over me until our bodies are aligned.
Our tongues tangle in a sultry dance as my hands glide over the expanse of his defined back.
He growls into the kiss as I lightly drag my nails over his golden skin, and the sound rumbles deeper as his partial shift emerges.
Wanting to get a proper look at him, I pull back, nipping at his full lower lip when he chases my mouth.
The tip of his forked tongue flicks out to soothe the sting, and I use his distraction to admire him fully.
Onyx-black horns jut back from his hairline, and his eyes shine a little brighter, the green slightly overtaking the brown in each iris.
I gasp, feeling a light prick at my sides where my towel has fallen open, telling me Jared’s claws have emerged.
“Shit, sorry.” He shakes out his hands, and the claws disappear. Concern pinches his golden brows together as he runs his palms over the dips on either side of my waist to check for any damage.
Capturing his wrists, I rush to reassure him, “Relax, I’m fine. You surprised me, that’s all.” He’s understandably shaken after finding me covered in blood, and it’s obvious his instincts are pushing him hard even after getting my injuries cleaned up.
He settles on his side next to me, smiling sheepishly. “Guess I’m still a little jumpy. Way to kill the mood, huh?”
“Jared.” I run my hand along the length of his arm and up the side of his neck to cup his cheek. “There’s no right or wrong way to do this. It’s only us here, and we’re safe. Just be with me.”
He sighs, nuzzling into my palm. “Mate bonds are completely new to me, but you’ve grown up knowing about them, imagining what would happen when you met your mate almost like a fairytale.
Nothing between us has gone how you expected—I literally fainted when we met.
I wanted to make this one part perfect for you. ”
My heart squeezes. “You’re right. Our story isn’t what I expected—it’s better.
I wouldn’t change anything, not even tonight, because now the monster from your nightmares is locked away, and we’re here ready to start the rest of our long lives together.
That’s what matters. The reality of being with you is a thousand times better than anything I ever could have imagined. ”
His smile is dazzling. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Now make me yours.”
The words are exactly what he needs to hear to pull him out of his own head.
His eyes glow a little brighter, a sure sign his demon instincts are taking the wheel.
Jared seals his mouth to mine in a claiming kiss, no less skilled with his shifted tongue than his human one.
Large hands explore my body, skimming over my hips and thighs, then up my sides to cup my breasts.
A wicked smile tugs at the corners of my mouth as I replay how strongly Jared reacted when I touched his horns the first time he shifted. I wonder if they’re as sensitive in his partially shifted form? From the gossip I’ve heard around town, they should be.
At the first brush of my fingertips over the shiny black horns, Jared’s entire body stiffens for a fraction of a second, then he moans into my mouth, hips bucking.
“Good?” I ask, still lightly stroking the lengths, careful to avoid their sharp points.
“Y—yeah.” He rolls his hips again, his cock hard and heavy where it rests between us. I increase my grip, and he moans long and low. “Fuck, I can’t think when you do that.”
“So don’t think,” I reply, trailing kisses across the top of his shoulder.
Jared slips one hand between us to toy with my aching pussy. A needy whimper escapes me when he brushes over my clit, setting off a chain reaction as I grip his horns tighter. Our soft sounds of pleasure fill the air around us as we work together to stoke each other’s desire higher.
Pressing open-mouthed kisses to the side of my neck, Jared eases two fingers inside my core. His eager mouth gradually trails lower until he reaches the slope where my neck meets my shoulder. Writhing beneath him, I tilt my hips to meet his skilled fingers, chasing the building pleasure.
“Are you ready?” he asks before lightly grazing his teeth over the sensitive skin.
“Yes.” I tilt my head, baring my throat to him. My hands leave his horns to tangle in his hair, doing everything I can to pull him closer still.
Jared presses a single featherlight kiss to my throat, making me groan in frustration.
Then he strikes. The sharp fangs of his shifted form pierce my skin, but there’s no pain, only pleasure.
My orgasm crashes over me, and I cling to Jared’s broad shoulders for dear life as I ride the tidal waves of pleasure.
With a satisfied growl, Jared carefully removes his teeth from the slope of my neck, pulling back to lap at the bite with his tongue while I come down from the high.
That’s when I feel it. The invisible link between us has grown even stronger now I’m wearing his bond bite. It will be damn near indestructible once I leave my mark on him. Suddenly I can’t wait any longer, my own instincts driving me to complete the bond.
When I nudge at his shoulders, Jared follows my lead, rolling onto his back and using his firm grip on my hips to take me with him.
Straddling the tops of his thighs, I revel at the sight of him spread out beneath me.
From the blade-sharp tips of his horns to his glowing green eyes, I trail my gaze down the column of his throat, along the length of his stunning body, only stopping when the light trail of darker blonde hair below his navel meets his hard length.
Gently swiping the pad of my thumb over the head of his cock, I capture the bead of precum gathered there, then bring my hand to my mouth to taste him.
Jared groans at the sight, gripping the covers tightly, holding himself back and letting me take the lead.
Unable to keep either of us waiting another moment, I move forward, one hand on his chest, the other guiding him to my opening.
One of the many perks of being supernatural is we don’t get STIs.
We do still have to think about contraception, but as a witch I can cast a spell to prevent pregnancy.
Jared’s fingertips dig into my hips as I sink down on him with a pleasured sigh. We move together in the perfect rhythm, our pleasure building higher and higher. When I lean down to kiss him, my magic surges, letting me know it’s time to complete the mate bond.
I pull back, breaking the kiss. “Watch.”
“Believe me, I am,” Jared pants, looking up at me with lust-filled eyes.
“Not me, this,” I say, sending a thin, shimmering strand of magic towards him.
Jared’s eyes widen in fascination as he follows the thread of magic emanating from my sternum as it winds towards the left side of his chest. The instant it brushes against him, Jared gasps, his head tipping back in pleasure as his hips thrust up to meet mine.
My inner muscles flutter around his firm length as I continue to ride him, while filling him with my magic.
Jared’s desperate hands roam over my body, our breaths coming quicker the closer we get to release.
“Your magic it—” he breaks off on a needy moan. “It’s too much. I’m not going to last.”
“Then let go for me. I’m right there with you.”
The silvery thread of my magic disappears beneath Jared’s golden skin. For a moment, it’s like the entire world stands still. Then my magic settles into its place in Jared’s heart where it was always meant to be, and we fall over the edge together.
We lie with our limbs still tangled together as we recover. Jared’s gentle fingers comb through the strands of my still-damp hair while my head rests on his chest. When I tip my head back to look up at him, I notice he’s back in his fully human form, a soft smile playing on his lips.
“How do you feel?”
“So happy.”
“Does the bite hurt?”
My hand drifts up to hover over the already-healed bond bite on the slope of my left shoulder. “Not at all.” Jared’s thumb ghosts over the mark, sending a shiver down my spine. “Oh, wow, that’s sensitive.”
He smirks. “Good to know.”
Despite everything we’ve just done, my cheeks heat, and I bury my face in his chest. That’s when I see it. On Jared’s left pec, right over his heart, is a small tarot card. The Moon. I prop myself up on an elbow so I can ghost my fingertips over the shimmering silver lines of my mark.
Jared looks down, spotting the tattoo-like mark for the first time. “It’s beautiful.”
“You like it?”
“Of course I do.” He tucks my dark hair behind my ear. “I can feel you, what you’re feeling. It’s amazing.”
“I can feel you too. Now the bond’s complete, we’ll be able to send each other images and feelings through the bond. Some bonded mates can even use it to talk to each other.”
“Really?”
“Mmm hmm.” Now that the combined high of my orgasm and completing the mate bond is evaporating, tonight’s events are catching up to me and I’m fading fast. My eyelids droop like wilting flowers.
Jared sits up, pulling my limp body with him. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
“Not to ruin the badass image I was building tonight, but I don’t think I can move,” I admit.
Jared’s warm chuckle only lulls me closer to sleep.
“I promise that letting me take care of you doesn’t make you any less of a badass.
” He places a gentle kiss on the top of my head.
“You’re the bravest person I know, and I’m so proud of how you handled tonight.
” He scoops me up, stands, and walks us through to the ensuite.
“We’ll get ready for bed and get some much-needed sleep.
Then in the morning when everything that happened hits us for real, we’ll be OK because we’ll wake up knowing that we’re facing all of it together. ”