Chapter 21
Nix
Warmth surrounded me completely. Warmth and the scent of the forest. Like a very warm and very soft tree lying next to me, its heavy branches wrapped around me.
I didn’t want to open my eyes, just wanted to float a little longer, bask in the warmth and softness before it’d be inevitably ripped away by reality.
However, a deep, raspy chuckle started an earthquake that forced me to open my eyes and…
Oh.
Ohh.
The tree was Gray, the branches his thick, muscular arms, and the earthquake was his chest shaking from laughter.
He smiled at me, eyes radiating warmth.
“Good morning,” he said, his smile widening, spreading into a grin as he leaned in to press his lips to mine. Just for a moment. A short, sweet kiss. Lips against lips, and then they were gone. I chased after them, catching them for another, longer kiss that sent small sparks through my body.
“Morning,” I whispered against his mouth, my own lips tilting into a smile as yesterday’s memories slowly crept in. We’d mated.
Holy shit.
I’d actually done it.
I smiled and stared at the man who was my mate, studying his every feature as if I hadn’t been doing just that for the past few weeks.
There were still new things to learn. The softness in his eyes when he looked at me, the way his eyes lit up when our gazes met. The way his nostrils flared when I grinned at him and leaned in to…
I hummed against his lips as I let my eyes fall shut and just felt.
His body against mine, his heart beating steadily but quickly.
His tongue licking over my bottom lip before he sucked it into his mouth and gently bit down.
The shock that jolted through my whole body as the faintest bit of pain mixed with pleasure.
My cock rapidly thickened beneath the comforter, rubbing against Gray’s hip.
Gray’s own erection pushed against the leg I had thrown across his body. He pulled me on top of him.
“You sore, sweetheart?” Gray asked, his fingers trailing down my spine and over my ass cheeks.
I scrunched up my nose. There was a slight sting when Gray parted my cheeks to dip a finger into my crack. Immediately, his finger was gone, and I sighed, opening my eyes.
“You remember that I can heal myself, right?” I asked, but found myself hesitating to actually do it.
I kind of liked the sting. It was proof of what we did.
And yeah, one could argue that the bite mark that sat at my nape was sufficient evidence, but this sting… it was private. Just for me.
“But…” Gray challenged me with raised brows.
I sighed. “I can’t keep anything from you, can I?”
He chuckled fondly, pointing at his chest. “Perks of being mated. I can feel what you’re feeling. And right now, you’re awfully hesitant.” He brushed a strand of hair out of my face, then gently cupped my cheek. “Talk to me.”
I shrugged. “There’s honestly not much to it. I just… I want to keep the feeling of being sore for a while. It’s like an echo of our mating, you know?”
Out loud, it sounded kind of silly, cheesy even.
Gray gently brushed his thumb over my cheek, his smile still in place.
If he thought I was being dumb, he certainly wasn’t showing it, and…
oh right, I could check. I closed my eyes and listened to the feelings swirling inside me.
My own and Gray’s. He didn’t think I was dumb, he was…
loving? Tender? His feelings were all warm, as was his face.
And open. Oh so open in the way he gave me an unguarded smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
“That’s okay. There’s plenty we can do, you know?” he whispered suggestively, pressing his hips up against my thigh, rubbing his erection against my skin.
A shiver ran down my spine, my own hips moving, thrusting up against him.
“We could just… do this…” he said, voice dipping deeper as he grabbed my ass with his free hand and repositioned me, lining our cocks up so they were caught between our bellies, and gave a powerful, upward thrust that had me gasping in shock as pleasure shot through my body. Fuck. That friction was… ugh.
“Or…” he continued, the hand on my cheek trailing to my chin, raising my head. “I could put my mouth to good use.”
I’d say he was putting his mouth to good use right now. His words helped conjure pictures in my mind, his deep voice raising goosebumps on my skin.
“Or we could switch positions,” he finally offered, words whispered against my ear, his warm breath fanning over my lobe, lips brushing against the skin, followed by a delicious pain as he gently bit down. “We didn’t get to that yesterday.”
I arched my back, thrusting my cock against his, a moan slipping free as my mind came up with the image of me pushing into Gray. My cock slowly disappearing inside him, his glorious ass on display for me as I knelt behind him.
Fuck.
Yes.
“You like that thought?” Gray chuckled, a playful undertone creeping into his voice. “You like the prospect of me on my hands and knees for you? Of you being the one to spread me open?”
I was going to explode right then and there.
My hips snapped forward, our cocks rubbing against each other.
His hand tightened, gripping one ass cheek hard enough to bruise as he pulled me down while simultaneously thrusting up.
The friction had my eyes rolling back. His cock, the coarse hair on his belly.
His earthy scent mixing with the static of my magic.
Our breaths hot against each other, mingling the way our scents mingled.
“Goddess, fuck,” Gray breathed, his other hand finding its way into my hair, pulling me in for a bruising kiss.
Our rhythm got faster and faster, our auras pulsing, muscles tensing, magic swirling until everything exploded.
I let out a shout as my whole body went taut and my cock started spurting between us.
Gray wasn’t far off, his hand clamping down on my ass, face buried in my neck.
My vision turned white as he sank his teeth into my neck again, blinding pleasure shooting through my body, my cock spurting another stream of cum.
“Holy… fuck,” I whispered, letting my head fall onto his shoulder as my hips came to a shuddering stop, the friction that’d felt so good just seconds before suddenly too much.
“You can say that again,” Gray said, voice hoarse but rich with laughter. “We kinda got derailed before we had the chance to get to the actual railing.”
I snorted and weakly slapped his arm, my head too heavy to lift it. “Shut it. It was perfect.”
It truly was. Not planned, not scripted, just us. In Gray’s bed. Enjoying one another.
Me and my mate.
He was satisfied too, radiating happiness and contentment.
I smiled and closed my eyes.
“I don’t think I ever want this moment to be over.” I wanted to stay here, in Gray’s arms, in his bed and his home forever. Just the two of us.
Without any of the real-world shit that was going on.
Without having to navigate how I fit into a pack full of creatures that still terrified me.
Without having to think about mages who were being kept as slaves.
Without looking at two teenage wolves and worrying we might be ordered to hand one of them back over to his abuser.
Because once this moment was over, we wouldn’t be Gray and Nix, the newly mated pair anymore, but Gray and Nix, the pack Alpha and the possibly new pack mage. And I didn’t think I was ready for that.
When I woke up again, the sun was high in the sky, light falling through the open curtains into Gray’s bedroom, little specks of dust dancing in the sunlight.
“What time is it?” I asked, rubbing my eyes before I sat up.
No answer.
I turned my head and found Gray next to me, eyes closed, his face relaxed, a small smile on his lips, his dark hair like a beacon on his pillow. He looked younger than he usually did, less intimidating too. Gone was the Alpha radiating power. He was just… Gray. My person.
I reached out and brushed a strand of silky black hair out of his face, a smile tugging at my lips as he pushed his face against my fingers, chasing contact even in his sleep.
Gray was… not what I’d expected when I’d first met him. Granted, the fact that he’d thrown me in a cell might’ve had something to do with my skewed view of him. But there was more to it, more to him than I’d ever thought possible.
The fact that the pesky little voice in my head was completely quiet around him was proof of that. There were no warning bells going off in my mind anymore. Not a thousand different scenarios of what might happen. I hadn’t even checked his house for possible exits just in case.
I leaned in and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Gray let out a sigh, and his lips tilted up, his smile growing even though he stayed asleep.
I, on the other hand, was wide awake. I didn’t know what time it was, but I definitely knew that I hadn’t slept this long in ages.
The magic inside me was brimming, bright and full, and my body felt relaxed in a way I didn’t even recognize.
Shaking my head, I got out of bed and carefully traipsed through the room, trying to make as little noise as possible. Gray deserved all the sleep he could get.
I quickly grabbed my clothes and headed to the bathroom.
I relieved myself, then stepped up to the sink and washed my hands.
Afterwards, I gathered water in my hands and splashed my face, shivering as the cold liquid hit my skin.
Grabbing one of the towels hanging to my right, I dried my face before daring to look in the mirror.
I stopped, my eyes widening as I took in the man staring back at me.
Was that really me?
The man in front of me looked different. His eyes no longer looked haunted but blazing with life. His lips were tilted into a half smirk, happy and relaxed, cheeks rosy from the cold water.
Damn.
Weeks ago, I’d barely recognized myself because I’d looked so bad, and now… now I looked more alive than I ever had in my whole life.
Because you’re free, that little voice inside my head whispered. You’re free and valued and happy.
What a foreign concept.