Chapter Twelve – Leo
Our mate has been through so much, his bear said, wishing he could make it right for her. But there was no easy way to undo what she had lived through.
She has, Leo agreed. But she’s not alone now. She has us. And always will.
Always, his bear rumbled in agreement.
Leo gazed down at Estelle and Adara, both asleep now on his couch.
After their talk, he had gently moved Adara from the floor, and Estelle had curled up beside her daughter, exhaustion finally claiming her.
Firelight played across their faces, catching the faint furrow that still lingered between Estelle’s brows even in sleep.
They’re finally resting, his bear said with satisfaction. In our den. Where they belong.
Leo nodded, something deep inside him settling. This wasn’t only about protection anymore. It was about belonging. About building something lasting. A life together where Adara could grow and thrive.
I want to give them everything, he said. Safety. Stability. Somewhere, they don’t have to keep looking over their shoulders.
His bear rumbled in agreement. Our family.
Our family, he echoed.
It was true. He hadn’t just met his mate. He’d gained a child, too. A child he already loved with a fierceness that surprised him.
Estelle stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She looked disoriented for a moment before her gaze found his.
“I fell asleep,” she murmured, carefully untangling herself from Adara.
“You needed it,” Leo said softly, offering his hand to help her up.
Estelle took it and stood slowly so she wouldn’t wake Adara. “What time is it?”
“Just past midnight.” He kept his voice low. “You can take my bed. I’ll sleep out here with Adara.”
Estelle shook her head. “I can’t take your bed.”
“You can,” Leo whispered. “Or we both can. Your choice.”
He watched the conflict move across her face, desire warring with caution, need battling years of habit.
“Adara...” she began.
“Will be right here,” Leo assured her. “The door stays open. You’ll hear if she stirs.”
A flicker of anxiety crossed Estelle’s face, her shoulders tightening. “I need some air,” she said suddenly, moving toward the door that led to his back porch.
Leo followed her outside, where she leaned against the railing, her face tilted up to the night sky. Moonlight washed over her, turning her skin pale and luminous.
She’s so beautiful, his bear whispered, awestruck. And she’s ours.
Not just ours, Leo corrected. She’s her own woman. But she’s choosing us.
That’s even better, his bear agreed.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, moving to stand beside her, careful not to crowd her.
Estelle’s hands gripped the porch railing. “That I want this,” she admitted softly. “And it terrifies me.”
“Which part?”
“All of it.” She turned to face him, her eyes bright in the moonlight. “Wanting to stay. Wanting you. Letting myself believe we could have a life here.”
Leo took a careful step closer. “You don’t have to decide all of that tonight.”
“What if Margaret finds us? What if...”
“Then we’ll deal with that when it comes,” Leo said quietly. “You don’t have to carry all of it by yourself. Not tonight. Not ever again, if that’s what you choose.”
Tell her more, his bear said.
He reached out slowly, giving her time to pull away, and brushed a strand of hair from her face. “I’m here, Estelle. I’m not going anywhere.”
Her eyes searched his, looking for doubt, for hesitation. Finding none, she leaned into his touch.
“I’m so afraid to believe that,” she whispered.
“I know.” He cupped her face in his hands.
She stepped closer, closing the space between them. “Leo...”
He kissed her then, pouring everything he couldn’t yet say into the press of his lips against hers. Not just desire, though that was there, hot and immediate. But tenderness too. Steadiness. A promise without words.
Estelle answered with equal hunger, her hands sliding up his chest to grip his shoulders. The kiss deepened, and Leo felt the mate bond between them pulse with need.
When they broke apart, both breathing hard, Leo rested his forehead against hers. “We should go inside,” he managed.
“Not yet,” Estelle whispered, her hands moving to the buttons of his shirt. “I need this. Need you.”
Moonlight silvered her skin as she undressed him, her fingers tracing each newly revealed inch of his chest with quiet attention. Leo stood still, letting her explore, his breath catching as she leaned forward to press her lips to his collarbone.
“You’re sure?” he asked, his voice rough with restraint.
In answer, Estelle pulled her own shirt over her head, her skin glowing pale in the moonlight. She was wearing a simple cotton bra, practical rather than seductive, but the sight of her, his mate, choosing to reveal herself to him, made his heart kick.
“I’m sure,” she murmured.
Leo reached for her, his hands spanning her waist as he lifted her to sit on the porch railing. She gasped, arms wrapping around his neck for balance.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured against her throat, trailing kisses down her neck to the curve of her breast.
Estelle’s head fell back, her fingers tangling in his hair as he unhooked her bra and drew it away. Her breasts were full and soft in the moonlight, nipples tightening in the cool air. Leo cupped them in his hands and brushed his thumbs over the sensitive peaks until she gasped.
“Beautiful,” he whispered before taking one nipple into his mouth.
Estelle arched against him, a soft moan escaping her as he sucked gently. His hands moved to her jeans, unfastening them with deft fingers.
“Lift up,” he murmured, and she raised her hips just enough for him to slide the denim down her legs.
Leo dropped to his knees, pressing kisses to her inner thighs. He looked up to find her watching him, her eyes dark with want.
“I need to taste you,” he said, his voice rough with need. “Please.”
She nodded, biting her lip as he hooked his fingers in the waistband of her underwear and drew it slowly down her legs.
The scent of her arousal made his head swim as he leaned forward and pressed his mouth to her core. The first taste of her nearly undid him. He groaned against her, his hands gripping her thighs as he licked her.
“Leo,” she gasped, her fingers tightening in his hair.
He took his time, learning what made her tremble, what drew those soft, broken sounds from her throat. When he found the sensitive bundle of nerves at her center, he circled it with his tongue, relishing her shudder of pleasure.
Leo lost himself in the taste of her, the feel of her trembling beneath his hands. He slid one finger inside her, then another, curling them until she cried out.
Estelle’s head fell back, moonlight catching at her throat as tension built inside her. Her thighs began to quiver, her breathing growing ragged. Leo doubled his efforts, his tongue working in rhythm with his fingers until she came, a cry torn from her throat as pleasure rushed through her.
He drew out her climax until she tugged at his hair, her hands fumbling with his belt.
“I need you,” she whispered. “Now.”
Leo couldn’t have denied her if he’d tried. He kicked off his jeans and underwear, his arousal evident as he moved between her thighs.
The first thrust into her nearly overwhelmed him as her body tightened around him.
“Estelle,” he breathed, holding still to let her adjust. “You feel incredible.”
She wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing him deeper. “Make love to me,” she urged.
He began to thrust, slow and steady at first, then with growing urgency as she matched his rhythm. The porch railing creaked beneath them, but Leo barely noticed. All that mattered was Estelle, her heat around him, her breath against his neck, the sounds she made with each stroke.
This was so different from when he’d first claimed her. Then, it had been primal and instinctive. Now it was deliberate.
“You’re mine,” he whispered against her ear. “Both of you. And I’m yours.”
Estelle’s eyes flew open, meeting his with startling intensity. “Leo...”
“I mean it,” he said, slowing just enough to make sure she heard him. “I choose you, Estelle. You and Adara. Not just for now.”
Tears sprang to her eyes, but she didn’t look away. Instead, she pulled him closer, pressing her forehead to his. “I choose you, too,” she whispered.
The words changed something between them. Their movements grew more urgent, more desperate. Leo lifted her from the railing, supporting her weight as he carried her to the wall of the house. The new angle drew a gasp from her lips as he drove deeper.
“Yes,” she breathed, her nails digging into his shoulders. “Just like that.”
Leo could feel his release building, a tightening low in his spine. He wanted, needed, to feel her come first.
“Touch yourself,” he urged, his voice rough with need. “Let me see you.”
Estelle’s hand slipped between them, finding her center as he continued to thrust. The sight of her pleasuring herself while he moved inside her was almost too much.
“That’s it,” he encouraged, feeling her body tighten around him.
She came with a broken cry, her body clenching around him in rhythmic pulses that pushed him over the edge. His release hit him hard and deep, his body shuddering as he emptied himself inside her with a groan of pure satisfaction.
For several moments, they stayed joined, foreheads pressed together as they caught their breath. The night air cooled their heated skin, but neither of them seemed ready to move. Leo’s legs trembled slightly from the effort, but he held her steady, unwilling to break their connection yet.
“That was...” Estelle whispered, her voice trailing away as if words had deserted her.
“I know,” Leo replied, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple.
Eventually, reluctantly, he lowered her to her feet. Estelle leaned against him, her head resting on his chest as his arms wrapped around her. Moonlight made everything feel softer.
They dressed slowly, stealing kisses and touches as if neither of them could bear to stop, even for a moment. When they finally went back inside, Adara was still sleeping peacefully on the couch, Snuggles curled at her feet.
Leo guided Estelle to his bedroom, leaving the door partway open, enough for privacy, but enough to hear if Adara stirred. As they settled into his bed, Estelle fit perfectly against him, her back to his chest, his arm draped protectively over her waist.
“Sleep,” he murmured against her hair. “I’ll be right here.”
As Estelle’s breathing deepened into sleep, Leo remained awake, his mind turning over everything she had shared. The weight of her trust, the years she had spent running, the fear she carried for Adara, it all settled inside him and sharpened into resolve.
She doesn’t do this alone anymore, his bear said.
No, Leo agreed.
He tightened his arm around Estelle’s sleeping body, breathing in the cinnamon-dragon scent of her hair. He had chosen them. Both of them. Not just as his mate and her child, but as his family.
And that was exactly why the next problem pressed at him now.
We can’t keep this secret forever, his bear pointed out. Not from our family.
Leo frowned into the darkness. His mother, his brothers, all of them, they were too close, too involved in one another’s lives not to notice. They would see the change in him. They would ask questions.
And if he kept putting them off, they would start looking for answers on their own.
That could not happen.
Not with Estelle already so frightened. Not with Adara caught in the middle.
We need to talk to her, his bear said. Soon.
I know, Leo thought.
He would respect Estelle’s need for privacy. He would protect it as long as he could. But his family was another matter. They were too woven into his life to be kept in the dark for long, and if he did not tell them himself, he might lose the chance to manage it at all.
That was a conversation for tomorrow.
Tonight, he held her close and listened to the quiet rhythm of her breathing, knowing only one thing for certain.
His family could not be kept in the dark much longer.