Chapter 42

FORTY-TWO

T alon slid his arms under her ass and held his mate tight as he pumped his cock in and out of her, loving the way every single stroke felt. The way her pussy clenched around his cock with each thrust.

He had asked her again to be his mate. He wanted it more than anything. More than he wanted his heart to continue beating. More than he wanted the earth to spin on its axis.

She didn’t hesitate. Not by a single second with her answer. Surprising him even more, she didn’t shy away from his fangs. She actually played with them, which was more erotic than he could have ever imagined. But she didn’t stop there. He wanted to shout his joy from the rooftops when she turned her head, giving him the perfect view of the artery he intended to tap for the mating ritual.

Every instinct rode him hard, telling him to claim his mate. He held off until now. There was no more fighting it. No more battling his dragon on the subject. The time had finally come to enter the next phase of their lives. To fulfill their destinies.

Talon gripped Asher’s butt, feeling the fire of his dragon leaving his mate mark on her ass. At the same time, the same heat took hold of the back of his shoulder and he roared, realizing what was happening. Asher was leaving her own mate mark on him at the same time.

He began a hard and fast pace, pistoning his cock in and out of her pussy until they were both shouting from the force of their orgasms claiming them at the same time. He came harder than ever and knew life would never be the same.

His body felt as if it had broken in two and knitted back together as an entirely different person. The mating bond snapped solidly into place, completing what he never thought he would find. Before that moment, he thought their connection was good, allowing them to sense and communicate.

But now he realized this mate bond was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. His soul also hadn’t escaped unscathed either from the mating bond. He had always thought of himself as a whole person. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Completing the mating with Asher and her with him proved just how clueless he really had been. For the first time in his life, he knew with absolute certainty that she was truly his other half and he would die without her.

It was a stunning discovery. One he could have never imagined.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” she said, smiling up at him.

“I have your mark,” he said, his dragon gloating over being chosen by hers.

She laughed. “I don’t even know how I did that, but I’m glad. Forget wedding rings, try taking that off,” she joked.

“Never. A mate is a blessing. You’re my blessing.”

Her eyes softened and she kissed his jaw. “And you’re mine. And I have your mark too.”

“Yeah. On your ass.”

“Seriously? Talon!”

“Hey, we can’t change it. Besides, your ass is mine. It’s kind of perfect.”

She laughed and pulled him down for another kiss. He loved how perfectly she fit his life.