28 Meg
Meg
Mate him. Bite him. Taste him. Keep him.
I didn’t know how I had the mental clarity to tell Roman what I needed, or how I was alert enough to make rational sense of what was happening while my wolf was this worked up.
Somehow, I breathed through the beastly heat that burned me from the inside as I pushed Roman back to the bed and straddled his hips to rip off his shirt, baring his chest.
No fur. Just bronze skin and human scars. Gods, he was perfect. Handsome in a way I couldn’t believe. Mine.
Roman’s gaze darkened as he stared up at me.
My mate wanted this.
That knowledge was enough to push through all the warning bells ringing in my head. Or maybe it was the wolf that blocked out those thoughts.
Roman wanted me. I wanted him.
It should’ve been that simple.
But it wasn’t… yet. I knew I had to tell him why first.
His hands gripped my hips possessively.
I closed my eyes, breathing again. “We have to talk.”
His body stilled, every muscle tense. “Whatever you need.”
“Stop doing that,” I cried, rocking forward to ease some of the building tension as I moved one of his large hands to my breast.
“Stop what?” he asked.
I looked down at him, seeing his confusion.
“I need you to tell me what you want,” I rushed out the words as another wave of heat throbbed through my core again.
His smirk would be my undoing.
“In case it wasn’t obvious,” he said as his calloused fingers kneaded my breast, causing me to melt. “I’m taking what I want now.”
Gods. My eyes rolled into the back of my head and I moaned as he dipped his other hand between my thighs, finding that sweet spot that had me seeing stars.
Wait. Focus.
Stop talking. You’re ruining this.
“You’re my mate.” My eyes flew open, and I forced myself to ignore the sensations.
Roman stopped moving as he studied me. “Is that what this is?”
“No,” I hurried to say. “This is sex. But you and me, it was always meant to be. Wolves have one mate. You’re mine. It’s fated.”
He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “This isn’t a story, Meg. We have… responsibilities.”
Is that what I was to him? A job?
And he is just a good little soldier.
Don’t do this… My wolf whined as I pushed myself off his chest, needing distance to process.
His hands tightened on my hips again, holding me in place. “But if you’re asking me what I want, I’ve wanted this since the first time I laid eyes on you. It scares me to think of what I’d do to make you mine.”
I blamed the wolf for the feral need that came over me as I leaned forward and captured his lips with mine, kissing him like my life depended on it.
The taste of me, mixed with the spicy, masculine taste of him, had me growling into his mouth.
And then I tasted blood.
Oops.
I jerked back.
Roman looked up at me as he touched his lips. Blood stained his fingers when he pulled them away.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, mortified when I felt my fangs poking out.
“Don’t be.” His gaze went to my mouth, and he smiled. “That’s hot.”
Let’s bite him again.
I growled as he flipped me over and he started biting and kissing down the side of my neck.
My fingers couldn’t undo the button on his pants fast enough and I fumbled, arching my back to give him better access as he continued to kiss his way down to my chest.
“Is that what you want?” he whispered against my skin as I freed his cock from the confines of the stupid, human pants and wrapped my hand around it.
My fingers didn’t touch.
I’d thought that was only in books.
I tried again, running up and down the silky length, until I felt the bead glisten at the top between us, and Roman’s soft thrust into my hand.
“Yes,” I growled as I pushed him away, needing to get closer to this cock.
Roman lay on his back, pure adoration in his eyes as I licked the salty tip, and then I got to watch my mate moan in bliss as I wrapped my lips around it.
If I thought my fingers couldn’t fit…
Another wave of heat crashed over me and I hummed in agony as I tried to take him deep inside my mouth.
“Come here.” Roman pulled me up by the chin, kissing away the pain as he guided me on top again. He broke our kiss, lining my hips up just right so I could ease some of the aching desire along the length of his cock. “Take what you need.”
My nails dug into his chest as I stretched myself on the thickness of him, delighting in the burn that had my wolf howling.
I could stay right here forever.
What had ever kept us apart?
“That’s it,” Roman praised. “You can take more.”
I panted as I worked myself up and down his shaft, lost to the pleasure that I denied myself for so long. Every. Single. Inch.
The building ache burned deep inside me, growing tighter by the minute, as Roman’s strong hands guided my hips faster, and he thrust up to meet me, chasing his own pleasure.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he panted. “I wish…”
“You wish what?” I rocked my hips, hitting that sweet spot inside that had my toes curling and the ache singing. Never in my life had I been this full.
This whole.
He thrust again, jaw clenched as he stared up at me. “That you were mine.”
Roman rocked me harder onto his cock, forcing me to take all of him.
Stars burst across my field of vision as the orgasm tore itself out of my soul, and I came again, screaming his name.
I collapsed forward, sinking my teeth straight into the top of his shoulder as my beast howled.
Too late, I realized what I was doing.
And it was too late to take it back.
Roman growled out his own release as he held me close. His cock spilled inside me and he cradled my head, keeping my teeth there until they hit bone.
The taste of blood filled my mouth, just as warmth flooded my chest.
My “Oh shit” moment was quickly replaced with a euphoric burst of rightness.
Mine. My wolf howled her triumph.
What did you do? I cried.
Roman caressed my hair, smoothing it down as his heart rate slowed, and the bond between us snapped into place.
“Roman, I’m so—”
“Shh,” he whispered. “Just give me one more minute to pretend, then I’ll get up.”
“To pretend what?” I turned my face toward him, needing to see that he was all right.
He frowned at the blood on my mouth, but he couldn’t hide the happiness in his eyes or the way I felt his punch of emotions to my heart.
“That I never have to leave this cave.” That quirk of his lips was followed by the rush of feelings that weren’t mine.
The depth of them was so intense that it stole my breath away. Roman felt. Everything he felt was so strong and bottled up and deep that I worried he’d explode under my touch.
His lips were gentle as they touched my forehead. “Thank you,” he said. “Is there anything else you need?”
“Oh you big, stupid oaf.” I pressed against his chest, forcing myself to leave the comfort of his arms. “Can’t you see what happened? I screwed up.”
“How?” His brow creased.
I slapped his heart and then mine. “The mate bond. I… We’re… Mated.”
I wished I could read his mind. To see his memories and thoughts like the other mated wolves were able to do, but all I could feel was the intensity of his swirling emotions that threatened to drown me, all while his face remained still, hiding the tumultuous journey beneath.
“I thought you said this was just sex,” he said.
“It was supposed to be!” I cried.
Get a grip. It was always going to happen.
This is all your fault!
Roman peered at me curiously. “What is that?”
My wolf wagged her tail. Can he hear me?
His frown deepened. “I can’t tell if you’re excited or pissed off.”
“Both,” I said. This was the least romantic mating in the history of mating, and leave it to me—the one who lived for romance novels—to have messed it all up.
Thunder clapped outside the cave, and Roman tensed as he held me close like he’d save me from whatever was out there.
Out there…
Oh gods. I scrambled off my bed of furs. “You need to leave.”
Roman nodded as he dragged his hand over his face, looking for his pants. “Okay.”
The disappointment. The hurt. His feelings. It all slammed into me, bringing me to my knees beside him.
“I’m going to fix this,” I promised. “I’m going to find a way for us to be together.”
“I don’t need your pity.” He smiled as he pulled on his pants. The contradiction was maddening. That easy look on his face while his emotions raged.
Was this him the whole time?
“I want you,” I growled, pressing his palm against my heart. “Feel this. Feel me. You were the whole reason I stayed in Ethica. I thought you were the councilwoman’s son. My mate. The only man I wanted to ever marry or be with.”
“That’s not…” He shook his head. “We can’t. This is… impossible.”
“Just trust me, okay?” I pressed my lips to his, forcing myself to believe so that I didn’t drown in the despair I could feel swirling just below his surface. “Forget the gods. I’ll figure out a way to make this work.”