8.

Reece

I know something strange is happening the moment Sabrina and I arrive at Thunderstorm. The woods are too quiet. The forest is never completely quiet. Not near Fablestone, and not here.

“What’s wrong?” Sabrina asks. “Something is wrong.”

We ran faster than we should have, and I’m feeling it now. My entire body aches as she slides from my tiger form, and I shift back to human. I instantly plop down on the ground, sitting in the dirt. Sabrina stands next to me.

“You need water,” she says.

“I’m fine.”

“We’ll find you something.”

“I’m okay.”

There’s something in my tone that lets her know I’m serious. It’s because I was captured by Lucky years ago. I’m nervous now. Anxious. I don’t like the idea of anyone viewing me as weak. Even though I know my mate loves me, it’s important to me that she view me as strong and capable.

I don’t want her to think I’m broken or damaged.

After a moment, I’m ready to move, and we head closer to the entrance to Clan Thunderstorm. This clan is very tech-driven, so it’s not surprising to me that there’s a giant steel wall around the clan’s home. We didn’t arrive at the front of the enclosure. I’ve never been here, so I wasn’t quite sure which end was the right one to use.

“We need to walk around,” I say, realizing my mistake. “We’re at the back.” There are no windows here. No doors. No people.

“You need your strength,” Sabrina says. I really am winded and exhausted. I hate knowing that I’m weaker now than I was in the past. I can’t tell if it’s a side effect of the drugs that were given to me, or if it’s something else, but I find myself needing her kind words more and more.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “I shouldn’t be so...”

Broken.

Disappointing.

Damaged.

I really, really shouldn’t be someone who is going to fail her over and over. Sabrina can’t read my mind, nor can she read my scent, but she knows my thoughts. She’s one of the best therapists the world of shifters has ever seen, and when she cups my face, I know she understands how I’m feeling.

“You need me,” she says.

I always need her, but it’s not the time or place.

“I want you,” I agree. I reach out for her, stroking her hair. Even though she was riding my back, and her hair is windblown, she still looks so damn pretty. “I need you,” I clarify. “I need everything about you.”

“Then let me love you.”

“We need to hurry to them.” If we don’t rush, something bad might happen. I know this is my anxiety speaking. I know I don’t always have to be a hero, but I feel like I need to.

“They can wait for a few minutes,” she says. “We’ll be fast. Reece, you need your strength.”

I know that she’s right.

I don’t want her to be right.

But when Sabrina pushes up on her toes and wraps her arms around my neck, I let all of my complaints just fade away. I need her so very much right now. I crave her like she’s air. I’m desperate for her.

“Just a few minutes,” she says, and she kisses me like the world is ending. I tug her close, desperately kissing her back. I can’t get enough of her. Even after all of this time, she’s the most perfect woman I’ve ever known.

“I love you,” I whisper. She tugs me closer. Her clothing is warm against my cool skin, but I want her naked. I don’t want there to be anything between the two of us.

“Not as much as I love you.”

Then we’re quiet. The talking is over. We don’t know if there are people or shifters lurking nearby, and we want to be fast. The sooner I feel her, really feel her, the sooner I’m going to feel better. Sabrina is right when she says that I need her. One thing I’ve learned is that as a shifter, being intimate with my mate is one of the best ways for me to heal.

I think she’s going to take her clothes off, but she drops to her knees in the dirt instead. She’s going to get mud on her, and everyone will know what we did, but Sabrina doesn’t seem to care. Instead, she reaches for my thighs and strokes them, massaging up and down the skin.

Every ounce of me craves her as she leans forward, sliding my length into her mouth.

I close my eyes.

My body fights with me. I want to watch her, to see every expression of excitement on her face. I want to see exactly what she’s feeling and thinking as she offers herself to me, but I also want to block out everything except her mouth, and how damn good it feels on me.

She.

Is.

Everything.

Sometimes I can’t believe there was a world that ever existed without her, because right now she’s the closest to heaven I’ve ever felt. She takes me deeper, sliding me down her throat. She gags a little and pulls back, but I grab her hair, and I shake my head.

She can do better.

We both know it.

This is the moment where our eyes lock, and I nod.

“You can do this,” I say. “You can take me.”

She nods, and I close my eyes again, and she dives forward onto me. I groan at the sensation. She works her magic – and it is magic – and when I fall apart for her, she swallows every drop I offer her. She doesn’t stop touching me, kissing me, or licking me until I’ve stopped throbbing.

And then I take a step back, and I smile at my mate, and I reach for her hand. I tug her to her feet, and I press my lips to hers.

She is everything.