Chapter 23
Torryn
In one smooth motion, she pulls the cotton shirt up and over her head, tossing it aside.
Moonlight kisses every new inch of skin it reveals and for half a heartbeat, I can’t breathe.
Her bare skin glows faintly in the pale light, smooth and soft. It feels like I’m seeing her for the first time, despite meeting her while she was exposed. This time is different and on her own terms, willingly, and my cock strains as her hips grind lightly against the length of me.
I watch the way her breasts rise and fall with her breath, and the pebbled peaks of her nipples practically beg to be worshipped.
I drag my eyes back to her face with an effort, afraid that if I keep staring, the wolf will rip control fully from me and we’ll lose the tenderness of this moment in a rush of instinct.
She reaches for the ties of her loose pants next and I have to close my eyes for a second, grounding myself in the rough feeling of the blanket under my hands, which I’ve forced from her as she undresses.
“Wren,” I murmur, rougher than I intend as she begins to shimmy out of her pants. “Last chance to decide this is a terrible idea and kick me back out that window.”
She laughs quietly and the sound curls around my heart like warm fingers. “If this is a terrible idea, I don’t care. I’m tired of always doing what’s right for everyone but me.”
Then the fabric of her pants falls down her legs entirely before she kicks them off the side of the bed.
I follow the movement with my gaze, helpless to do anything else.
My hands move of their own accord as she places herself back atop me, smoothing along her calves, up the line of her thighs, feeling the way her muscles tense and relax under my touch.
Heat radiates from her, sinking into my palms and drawing me in.
“Beautiful,” I croak out, the words ripped out of me. “You’re so godsdamned beautiful.”
Color rises in her cheeks, but she doesn’t look away.
Her hands come up to my shoulders, then slide down my chest, slow and exploring.
Her fingers trace old scars until she reaches the base of my cock.
Her hand gently wraps around it as I watch doubt suddenly creep into her eyes, hesitating as she strokes it lightly.
I groan at the mere touch of her delicate hand and she rips her hand back, startled.
“I don’t know what to do entirely,” she mutters with wide eyes. “I only have whispers of images of what procreation looks like and I don’t want to hurt you.”
Instantly I pull her down to me and cup her face, forcing her to stare into my eyes as I watch embarrassment creep into her body, the way her shoulders cave inward, like she’s ashamed to admit that to me.
“Wren, you could do no wrong in exploring my body,” I swear to her. “I wanted to let you take the lead so that you felt comfortable, but if you’d prefer me to lead or tell you what feels good, tell me, please.”
It comes out like a plea, my heart hurting at the mere thought of her ever thinking she’s inadequate or anything less than perfection.
She blinks back at me and I smile. “That sound was because it felt good, not because it hurt.”
Slowly she comes back to life, her lips curling into a tentative smile. “You swear?”
My hips press up at that, the thick length of my cock pressing against her belly, unable to hide the mirth in my voice. “Does it feel like I’m in pain?”
A lighthearted chuckle rumbles from her chest into mine and my hands ghost down her sides to rest on her ass.
I can’t help but squeeze as my hips rock up into her once more, and her body responds, shocking me as she presses against my chest to sit up once more.
The glide of my cock as it rocks against her already slick pussy has my eyes rolling back.
My fingers tighten of their own accord as I breath out, “Fuck, I want you so badly, Wren.”
The animalistic nature within me to claim her is red hot and driving me insane with need. I want to bury myself in her and mark her with my teeth for all to see exactly who she belongs to.
“I want you too, Torryn,” she whispers as her heat suddenly pulls away.
My eyes snap back to her just as her hand wraps back around my cock to line me up with her.
“I…” she starts before breaking off and blushing, “I don’t know if we need to worry about protection. I don’t know if bearing a child is something I was created with the ability to do.”
I should have thought of that earlier, when she used the term procreation, but my mind glossed right over it.
I almost come on the spot, thinking about spilling my seed inside of her and watching her belly grow round with our child.
My chest rapidly rises and falls as I force myself to take deep breaths and stay in this vulnerable moment with her, resisting the urge to tilt my hips up and let her body wrap around me.
“One moment, sweetheart,” I breathe out as I close my eyes.
Slowly I let my heightened wolf senses come to the forefront of my mind. We were always taught that we’d be able to scent our mate’s fertile heat, a convenient reason shifters don’t need protection generally.
My wolf growls at the desire to claim her, but there is no thought of reproducing within his thoughts. All we smell is the sweet scent of desire from her and the rush of wanting to fulfill that.
As my eyes open and settle on her once more, my thumbs brush against her stomach. “That’s not something we need to worry about right now. I promise.”
Her unwavering trust in me has never been more clear as she takes my words at face value and begins to sink slowly onto me. As the tip of my cock presses into her, it feels like coming home and setting myself on fire at the same time.
She draws in a sharp breath as her eyes widen. Instantly I’m on alert, sensing the vague bit of pain in her tensing muscles. My hands grab her waist, stopping her from forcing herself further.
“You don’t need to force this,” I whisper, hating the thought of causing her pain. “Let me help you.”
I wait for her small nod of acknowledgement before my hands leave her sides. One drifts up to her breasts, firmly cupping it and rolling her nipple in my fingers. The other roams to her pussy and gently I brush my thumb across the bundle of nerves there.
A pulse of need spears through me as her eyes flutter shut and a small moan comes from her. “Oh, Torryn.”
Once again the thin control over my desire for her is tested as my balls clench at the sound of my name on her lips.
She rocks her hips against me in a tentative grind and my vision whites out for a second. Heat flashes through me at the aching press of her around me.
“Slow,” I rasp out. “We have time.”
“Do we?” she whispers, eyes searching mine once more, all that impossible weight she carries flickering through her expression.
It’s a sobering thought.
The truth is that we don’t. Not in the way we should for our claiming, but the world around us isn’t as black and white as it would be for anyone else finding their mate. We both need this now, though, before either of us walks back into the teeth of the world.
I pull my body up to come eye level with her as my hand leaves her breast to cup her cheek.
Still, my thumb strokes slow circles on her clit as she sinks a little further onto me.
Her mouth opens as a breathy sigh escapes and I lean in to tease her lips with my own, wanting to swallow each sound her body gives me.
“I will burn this place to the fucking ground before I let you force yourself to take too much too quickly,” I vow gruffly. “I won’t let the pressure of outside forces allow you to feel anything but pleasure right now.”
My thumb presses harder against her, my hips slowly pressing up as she slides down. I don’t know if it's my hand, my words, or my cock that makes her head tilt back and a moan to slip out, but I have to quickly muffle the sound with my hand, sliding it over her mouth from her cheek.
A growl stirs in my chest as I feel a new flood of heat and wetness around my cock.
“Careful, sweetheart,” I rumble. “We don’t want the humans to know that I’m filling your pussy so perfectly right now.”
Her walls clench around me and I smirk as her head whips down, eyes wide and breath panting against my hand. So my mate likes a bit of dirty talk. I’m more than happy to oblige.
A needy whine slips from her lips as her fingers grip me. “I don’t know if I can take all of you, Torryn.”
Slowly she rocks up and down, taking another inch as I lean forward, lips ghosting the shell of her ear. “You were made for me, Wren. Relax your body and let me fill you, sweetheart.”
I pepper hot kisses along her neck as I quicken my pace on her clit, groaning and cock straining as I feel her body sliding down further.
Eventually I bottom out within her heat and we both let out a gasp at the same time.
“Holy shit,” I breathe out, trying to think of anything but how fucking good she feels wrapped around me.
She pulls back to press her forehead against mine, staring deep into my eyes. “I never knew something could feel like this,” she breathes out between pants. “To feel so connected and whole.”
My chest rumbles with appreciation of her words and the knowledge that she’s trusted me with this part of herself.
“You’re mine now,” I growl out before my lips surge forward, nipping and sucking at hers as my hands fall to her hips, helping her find a pace that makes her body tighten under my touch.
I hold the urge back to spill inside of her, knowing I’d never forgive myself for finding my peak before her.
From then on there is only heat and breath and the slow, building rhythm of our bodies learning each other.
Her pussy slides against my cock in slow yet urgent strokes, the faint scrape of her nails skimming down my back leaving trails of fire in their wake.
Her hands map the planes of my shoulders and chest like she’s trying to memorize every inch of each.