Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Anne
We barely make it through my apartment door before Kain’s mouth is on mine, hot and demanding, evidence he’s been waiting for this just as impatiently as I have.
The keys clatter to the floor somewhere behind us—I don’t care where.
All I care about is the way Kain’s hands are everywhere, gripping my waist, sliding up my back, tangling in my hair as he kicks the door shut with his foot.
We’re stumbling through the entryway, a mess of lips and teeth and desperate breaths, and I can’t get enough.
Goddess, I’ve wanted this. Craved it. Ever since the night he took me apart piece by piece and left me shattered in the best way. I tried to bury it, told myself that I was done, that I could move on with David or anyone else who didn’t make my heart ache the way Kain did.
But who was I kidding? The moment his lips touched mine in that stairwell, after he explained everything—his fears, his feelings, how he’d fallen for me all over again even without the memories…It all cracked me wide open.
I’d wanted to stay mad, to hold on to that anger like a shield. But my wolf was whining inside me the whole time, pacing restlessly, begging me to give in, to claim what was ours.
And yeah, maybe part of me said yes because of her.
But mostly? I said yes for me. Because I need this.
Need him. The way he looks at me like I’m the center of his universe, the way his touch sets my skin on fire—it’s addictive.
Irresistible. And right now, with his body pressed against mine, all hard muscle and heat, I’m done pretending otherwise.
We crash into the living room, his hands frantic as they tug at my clothes.
“Anne,” he growls against my mouth, his voice laced with that wolfish edge that sends shivers straight to my core.
He yanks my blouse up and over my head in one swift motion, tossing it aside like it’s offending him. His eyes darken as they rake over me, taking in the black bra I threw on this morning. It’s nothing special, but the way he stares makes me feel like a goddess.
“Fuck, you’re beautiful.”
His mouth descends before I can respond, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down my neck, nipping at my collarbone hard enough to make me gasp.
My hands fist in his shirt, pulling him closer, but it’s not enough.
I need skin. I need all of him. I claw at the buttons, popping a couple in my haste, and he chuckles low in his throat—a sound that vibrates through me, sending liquid heat between my thighs.
“Impatient, are we?” he teases, but his own hands are just as urgent, sliding around to unhook my bra with expert precision.
The straps slip off my shoulders and down my arms. Cool air hits my bare skin, making my nipples pebble instantly.
Kain’s gaze drops, and the hunger there—raw, primal—makes my wolf preen.
He cups my breasts, thumbs circling the sensitive peaks, and I arch into him with a moan that’s downright needy.
“Yes,” I breathe, because it’s all I can manage. Yes to this. Yes to him.
His mouth replaces his hands, latching onto one nipple with a suck that’s so hard and perfect, it borders on pain without going all the way there.
I cry out, my fingers digging into his scalp, holding him there as he lavishes attention on my breasts—tongue swirling, teeth grazing then soothing with wet, languid licks.
Heat builds low in my belly, a throbbing ache that has me grinding against his thigh for friction.
I’m already soaked. My panties are clinging uncomfortably, and we’ve barely started.
Kain’s free hand slides down my stomach and pops the button on my pants with a flick.
He doesn’t waste time, unzipping and tugging them over my hips, taking my underwear with them in one rough pull.
I step out of them clumsily, kicking off my shoes, and suddenly I’m naked in front of him, completely exposed and trembling with want.
His eyes devour me, lingering on the apex of my thighs where I’m slick and ready for him.
“Look at you,” he murmurs, voice husky. “So wet for me already. Have you been thinking about this, Anne? About me inside you?”
I nod, biting my lip as his fingers trace teasing patterns up my inner thigh, so close to where I need him but not quite. “Ever since that night,” I admit, my voice breathy. “I tried not to, but…fuck, Kain, I couldn’t stop.”
He groans at that, like my confession is the hottest thing he’s ever heard, and then finally—finally!—his fingers find my center. He strokes through my folds deliberately, circling my clit with just enough pressure to make my hips buck.
“Good girl,” he praises me, and the words send a fresh wave of arousal crashing through my body.
Two fingers push inside, stretching me, curling just right to hit the spot that makes stars burst behind my eyelids. I whimper, riding his hand shamelessly, chasing the building pleasure.
But it’s not enough. I need more. I need him.
I tug at his belt, fumbling with the buckle until he helps and shoves his pants down.
His cock springs free, thick and hard, the tip already glistening with pre-cum.
My mouth waters at the sight—I’ve fantasized about this, about taking him in my hand, my mouth, my body.
I wrap my fingers around him, stroking firmly, and he hisses through his teeth, thrusting into my grip.
“Anne…fuck.”
We tumble onto the couch—no time for the bedroom, not with this urgency burning between us.
He lands between my legs, his weight pressing me down in the best way.
I wrap my thighs around his waist, pulling him closer.
Our mouths crash together again as he positions himself at my entrance, teasing with shallow plunges that have me whining into his kiss.
“Please,” I beg, nails scraping down his back. “Kain, now.”
He doesn’t make me wait. With one powerful thrust, he buries himself to the hilt inside me, filling me so completely that I gasp at the stretch.
It’s intense, bordering on too much, but it’s perfect—god, so perfect.
He stills for a moment, letting me adjust, his forehead pressed to mine, our breaths mingling.
“You feel incredible,” he groans. “So tight, so wet. Made for me.”
Then, he starts moving. Slowly at first—deep rolls of his hips that drag against every sensitive nerve.
I meet him thrust for thrust, our bodies finding the rhythm as if we’ve done this a thousand times before.
The mate bond hums between us, amplifying everything—the pleasure, the connection, the raw need.
My wolf is ecstatic, howling inside my head, but this is me, too.
Me choosing him. Me surrendering to this fire we’ve reignited.
He picks up speed, pounding into me harder, the couch creaking under us. His hand slides between our bodies, finding my clit again, rubbing in tight circles that have me seeing white.
“Come for me, Anne,” he commands, voice gravelly. “I want to feel you clench around my cock.”
His command pushes me over the edge. Pleasure coils tight and snaps, my orgasm ripping through me violently.
I cry out his name, the walls of my pussy fluttering around him, pulling him deeper.
He follows moments later, thrusting erratically as he spills inside me, hot and deep, his growl vibrating against my neck.
We collapse together, sweaty and spent, his body covering mine like a blanket. He presses soft kisses to my shoulder, my jaw, my lips, murmuring words I can’t quite catch but feel in my soul. For the first time in years, the ache in my chest is gone. Replaced by a sense of warmth, of realness.
And as I drift in the afterglow, tangled in his arms, I know I made the right choice. For my wolf. For me. For us.
Eleven days later
The blanket beneath us is soft, the grass underneath even softer. Sunlight filters through the trees overhead, dappling everything in gold and green, and I sigh. I’m genuinely happy.
Kain lounges beside me, propped up on one elbow, a grape held between his fingers. “Open,” he says, his voice teasing.
I roll my eyes first, but I comply. He places the grape on my tongue with exaggerated care, and I bite down, the burst of sweetness making me moan with delight.
“You’re ridiculous,” I tell him.
“You love it.”
I do. I really do.
This spot hasn’t changed in ten years. The creek still burbles over smooth stones thirty feet away, the old oak tree still spreads its branches wide overhead, and the clearing still feels like our own private world.
We took that photograph here, the one I kept on my desk for so long.
The one I eventually stuffed in my drawer when I thought I had to let him go.
Now, here we are again. Together. I almost pinch myself to make sure it’s real.
“This is so nice,” Kain says absently. “I can see why we used to like this place even though I don’t remember that time. The sun, the breeze, the rippling of the water…It’s perfect.”
A smile tugs at my lips as I look at his beautiful face. Although the things we used to love are now new to him, I get to watch him fall in love with them all over again.
“You know,” I say, plucking another grape from the container and popping it in my mouth, “you used to go fishing in that creek. In your wolf form.”
Kain’s eyebrows lift. “Did I?”
“You were terrible at it,” I continue, grinning at the memory.
“You’d stand in the water for hours, completely still, waiting for a fish to swim by.
When you eventually saw one, you’d pounce and miss completely.
Splashing everywhere. You’d come out soaking wet and so proud of yourself even though you never caught anything. ”
He looks genuinely entertained by this, his eyes crinkling softly at the sides. “Sounds like I was quite the hunter.”
“You were…enthusiastic,” I say diplomatically. “That counts for something.”
Kain sits up, brushing crumbs off his hands. “Well, the new me can do better than that.”
“Oh really?”
“Really.” He stands up and stretches, and I admire the way his shirt pulls across his shoulders, my wolf all but purring. “I’m going to catch a fish. Right now. In human form.”
I laugh. “Kain, you don’t have to—”
“I do.” He’s already walking toward the creek, determination in every step. “I have a reputation to uphold.”
I watch him go, still smiling.
The back of him. That’s all I can see as he walks away, broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist, dark hair catching the sunlight.
And suddenly, I’m not seeing the man he is now.
I’m seeing the boy he was back then. Seventeen years old, laughing over his shoulder at me, racing toward the creek with that same confident stride.
The images blur together. Past and present overlapping until I can’t tell which is which.
Tears, hot and unexpected, prick at my eyes.
I didn’t think I’d ever get to be this happy again. Didn’t think I’d ever see him walk toward that creek, hear his laugh, feel his touch, or taste grape sweetness on his lips.
The past ten days have been perfect. We’ve been carefully rebuilding everything I thought was lost forever. For all the angst it took to get here, I haven’t felt this light in years.
We’ve been dating properly, as though we just met.
Going to movies where we share popcorn and he steals my soda.
Getting coffee at the little shop near headquarters where he orders the same complicated drink every time and I tease him about it.
Taking long drives through pack territory during which he asks me to tell him stories about places we used to go.
Dinner at the Italian restaurant downtown where I told him about the time we snuck out to human territory and he won a basketball game using unfair, wolf shifter advantages.
The art gallery where we wandered through exhibits and I explained how he used to sketch sometimes, mostly wolves and trees and my face when he thought I wasn’t looking.
Late nights on my couch watching terrible reality TV. Early mornings in my kitchen where he makes surprisingly good pancakes. Stolen kisses in the break room at the office. His hand finding mine under the table during pack meetings.
Small moments. New memories layered over old ones. It’s not the same as what we had before, but it’s something. It’s ours.
And sitting here, watching him crouch by the creek with his sleeves rolled up and his focus absolute, I think maybe it’s enough.
“Got one!” Kain’s shout startles me out of my thoughts.
He’s standing in the shallows, water up to his knees, holding a fish above his head like a trophy. It’s not a big fish. Honestly, it’s barely bigger than his hand. But the grin on his face is absolutely triumphant.
“See?” he calls. “Told you I could do it!”
I’m laughing as I get to my feet, brushing grass off my legs. “That’s very impressive.”
“Come see!”
I make my way over, still laughing. He’s so proud of this tiny fish that my heart squeezes. He’s soaking wet from the waist down, his jeans clinging to his legs, but he doesn’t seem to mind.
“Beautiful catch,” I say solemnly.
“I know.” He grins at me, then looks at the fish. “Should we…cook it?”
“It’s barely a mouthful.”
“Fair point.” He wades over to the bank and gently releases the fish back into the creek. We watch it dart away, a flash of silver in the current.
Kain climbs out, water streaming off him, and immediately pulls me into a hug.
“You’re getting me wet!”
“That’s the idea.” He’s laughing against my hair, and I can feel the rumble of it in his chest.
I push at him, but not very hard, and he holds me tighter. For a moment, we just stand here. His heart beats steadily against my ear. The creek murmurs. The breeze rustles through the trees.
Perfect.
We grab our things and head back to the car, my hand in his, still smiling like idiots. I’m reaching for the passenger door when Kain suddenly stumbles.
“Kain?” I turn just in time to see him catch himself against the car, one hand pressed to his temple.
“I’m fine,” he says quickly, but his voice sounds strained.
“No, you’re not.” I’m at his side immediately, my hand on his arm. “What’s wrong?”
“Just dizzy.” He tries to straighten up, but I can see the way he’s gripping the car for support. “Must be tired. We’ve been out here for hours.”
“Kain—”
“I’m fine, Anne. Really.” He manages a smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Let’s just get home. I probably need to eat something more substantial.”
I want to argue, want to insist we go to the pack healer right now, but he’s already opening the driver’s side door.
“I’m driving,” I say firmly.
He doesn’t argue, which worries me more than the dizziness itself.
I help him into the passenger seat, my heart pounding. He leans his head back against the headrest, eyes closed, and in the afternoon light, I can see how pale he’s gotten.
Something is wrong.