28. TWENTY-THREE

TWENTY-THREE

Wren

"Butwouldyouform a contract with me for it?” Thorn’s eyes twinkled with mischief as we stood in front of Rhett’s office.

I giggled and slipped my arms around his neck, pressing up on my tiptoes and kissing the corner of his lips. “I would enter a contract with you for anything.”

He swallowed thickly and brushed his lips over mine. “You have no idea what saying that does to me, Kit.” His voice was strained like he was holding back, and his arms trembled as he wrapped them around my waist.

“I mean it. I love you, Thorn. I always have.”

He breathed in my scent, blasting ice magic down my spine. “Bluebells, Kit. I love you,” he croaked.

“Go let Rowan know about the crystal extraction.” I peppered kisses over his lips.

Our magic tingled and wisped together around us as he met my kisses. “Enjoy your session with Rhett.”

The door opened, and Rhett leaned against the door frame with a smirk on his face. “She always does.”

Thorn bit his lip with a groan as he backed away. “You and I need some time together soon.”

“Yes, we do,” I breathed.

A reluctant groan left his lips as he phased away, and Rhett kicked the door wide open. “Come in.”

I walked into the calmness of his office, and the door shut behind me.

He stepped up behind me, his chest rumbling against my back as he ran his nose down the column of my neck and inhaled. “I’ve missed you, baby.”

“You know I’ve missed you,” I murmured, practically melting into the hard planes of his body.

Wrapping his fingers around my wrist, he tugged me toward his chair, sitting down and pulling me on top of him. “So glad you booked a session.”

I turned in his hold and straddled him before making myself comfortable on his lap, pressing my core into his hardness. “You’re a difficult counselor to get a hold of.”

“As much as I’d love to fuck you, and Fates, I do… What I really think we need to do is talk.”

“But, you said I could use you to cope.” I pouted my lips, even though I knew he was right.

“How about we talk first, and then we can make love,” he murmured, and I felt his smile against my cheek. “Let’s start with how you feel? Both from Grayson’s death and being free of the dark magic.”

“I feel… alive.” I pushed my fingers through his dark hair with a sigh. “The dark magic made me feel numb, and while I could still think logically, I had no empathy or feelings of my own, except for maybe anger and lust. Being free of it has made me feel like I can breathe again.”

“Good. That’s what I hoped you’d feel like regarding it.” His hand started running up and down my spine soothingly.

“Even before the rejection, Grayson wasn’t a good wolf.” I cleared my throat and squeezed my eyes shut. “Perhaps, it was his father’s influence. Or maybe it was just because he was rotten to the core, but knowing that he’s gone and can’t hurt me anymore is a relief. I thought maybe because he was technically my mate at one point, I would feel regret or sadness for his death, especially since he blamed me for everything he’d gone through. And yeah, breaking our bond did cause the dark magic to take hold, but I don’t feel guilty for it,” I admitted, opening my eyes and tugging his head back to look into his eyes. I found nothing but understanding within them. “Does that make me terrible?”

“Not at all. You are the most compassionate, loving woman I have ever met. I believe after all the trauma he caused you that the relief you feel with his death and with the dark magic being gone is completely rational.” He reached up and rubbed his thumb over my cheek as he stared at me with such tenderness that made me melt in his lap.

I shifted off him and pulled my bag off my body, setting it on his desk as I dug through it. “I want to show you something.”

I pulled out the blood stone Alister had made and held it up toward the light. The fluorescent light hit the top but didn’t shine through. The gem was pure black. Rowan had given it back to me after Drecken had confirmed that there was no escape for the dark magic inside, and I’d thrown it in my bag immediately.

“This is all that’s left of both Grayson and the dark magic. To be honest with you, it feels surreal. Knowing that those two threats to myself and those I love are out of the picture and in my hand…” I turned around and held it out so he could see it. “It makes me feel empowered.”

“You should feel empowered. You’ve come out on top of a lot of trauma, and I am so fucking proud of you, baby.”

Tears started to form in my eyes, hot and heavy, before sliding down my cheeks as I busied myself with putting it back in my bag and setting the bag on the floor.

“Baby.” He stood up and turned me to face him. His hands cupped my face, and his thumbs wiped at the tears as they slipped down.

“When the dark magic was inside me, it felt so wrong. The only thing that made me feel me again was when I was with you and the others.” The tears kept coming, and panic swelled in my throat.

He wrapped himself around me and pulled me into the chest. “I’m here, baby, I’ve got you.”

“I was always scared that Grayson would just show up. I was scared to be alone. I was tired of being scared, so I got angry. But I don’t want to be angry anymore, I just want everything to be over—but it’s not over!” My voice trembled with my words. “Not even Grayson’s death has stopped the insanity around us. The war is still happening, Roak and the dragons still want to convert Rowan and take me, Lachlan’s sister is still MIA, Alister’s mom hasn’t been entirely truthful about the relic, Kian’s ex-coven is a mess, and we have to go get a death crystal from Thorn’s kingdom! I don’t even know where my dad is, but his roommate said that the human who saved him could’ve been his mate!” I tucked my face into his neck as his pheromones slid over my body to relax me, but it only helped calm a little of the hysteria building inside of me.

I broke down with sobs racking my body, and Rhett whispered soothing words and rubbed my back as I clutched his shirt and cried. Tears soaked the fabric each time my body heaved, and I gulped a mouthful of air between sobs.

I wasn’t sure how long he held me and let me cry, but I hadn’t realized how much I needed it.

My cries softened, and I sniffled as I looked up at him through blurry eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t do that. Don’t apologize, baby. You needed this. You’ve been holding everything in for so long. You needed to let it out, and I am so grateful that I was the one able to hold you as you did it.” He bent down and kissed my wet cheeks. “I’m so in awe of you and how you handle everything thrown your way.”

“Rhett, I could say the same for you,” I rasped, my throat dry and scratchy.

He picked me up, holding my thighs before setting me on his desk and turning to get into the little mini fridge on the side of the wall.

Grabbing a bottle of water, he passed it to me, and a look of calm overtook his expression. He’d must’ve expected me to break down with him. It was impressive how well Rhett was able to understand me.

I took it with a smile and screwed the cap off before gulping down the whole bottle in the matter of seconds. My throat screamed with relief as the water trickled down. “Thank you.” I inhaled deeply, passing him the bottle to throw away.

He moved back to me and planted his hands on either side of the desk, brushing his nose against mine. “Do you still want me to make love to you or do you need to rest?”

“I still want you to make love to me,” I murmured, my pheromones slipping into the air and caressing his.

“Lay back on the desk.”

I scooted back and propped myself up on my elbows.

He growled, moving me himself and putting me to the side to where I laid long ways on his desk. Grabbing my ankles, he planted my feet on the edge of the desk. “So that’s why you smell so sweet.” He slipped his fingers through my wet folds with another growl.

“Damien stole my panties again. All of them.” I frowned, squirming but trying not to move out of the position he’d put me in.

He chuckled, gingerly grazing my clit. “Alister hasn’t gotten you new ones yet?”

“He did this morning,” I said in a breathy tone. “I just haven’t washed them yet.”

He bent down, blowing a breath between my legs, making my back bow as the moans slipped out. “Listen to me, baby. I don’t want you to think. You’ve done enough of that today. I just want you to feel. Can you do that for me?”

I lifted my head, meeting his gaze between my legs. “I can do anything you ask me to do.”

Wet heat burned between my legs, and his nostrils flared along with it as he scented my desire. He knew I needed him.

“Can you give up control to me?” He questioned, licking his lips.

“I’ll give you complete control.”

“Good girl.” He smirked, and all of my thoughts fled, leaving only the throbbing need of desire for my mate. “Take off your shirt.”

My hands flew to the tie and shirt, practically ripping them both off until I was topless in front of him, my breasts exposed to his hungry gaze.

He smirked slowly, unbuttoning his own shirt before letting it fall to the ground. The vines that wrapped around his biceps and the ink in his skin only seem to heat my core more. His pheromones danced over me, but his body radiated a primal strength that made me shiver. “If I see you thinking about anything other than the pleasure I’m giving you, I stop. Do you understand?”

“I understand.” My voice was shaky, but my need for him burned my brain of anything else. “All I can think about is you anyway.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” His smirk grew into a wide smile. His gaze drew to my chest and nipples before his thumb pressed against the bundle of nerves between my legs, and he inhaled me.

My moan was a sound that was half pain, half pleasure. Not pain in a way that Damien made me feel, but a pain in a way that only Rhett could make me feel—a pain that made me ache inside and desire to have him brand me.

I squirmed, and he let out a growl. “Baby, be patient.”

My body froze, and my eyelids fluttered shut.

“Fates, you smell so good.” I felt his hot mouth hit between my legs. His cheek nuzzled the side of my thigh as he found my throbbing wet nub and worked it with his tongue.

He slid a couple of fingers inside of me, and my thighs clenched around his head as a low moan left my lips.

“Rhett!”

His tongue tantalized and teased me as his fingers worked inside of me, igniting me as I writhed against him, lost to the pleasure he was giving me. I arched into him, and he pulled his fingers out before his tongue shoved inside. Ripples of pleasure worked through me, and our pheromones danced as an orgasm built with a raging intent.

The swipe of his tongue, curling and hitting my spot sent me spinning into pleasure, and my screams echoed through the room. I whined as he pulled away, my core tight and aching.

His smile glistened. “What a good girl, taking the pleasure I give you.” He unbuckled his pants, and they dropped to the floor as he stepped out of them.

All I could do was breathe and look at him from my spot on the desk, not daring to move for fear that he would stop.

He scooted me further up the desk, and his warm body hovered over mine. His tongue filled my mouth, circling around mine possessively before he moved his head and grazed his lips to my ear. “Ready for me to give you pleasure, baby?”

“Yes!” My body gave a jerk and trembled before I gripped his shoulders.

“Let’s see how much you like my tail.” His gaze was wicked, and continuous waves gripped me as soon as the head of his tail pushed inside of my wet, throbbing heat.

A bone tingling orgasm reverberated through every part of me, and I cried out. I convulsed under him, and a pleasant chuckle raced down my spine from him as he claimed my mouth with his.

His heated erection pressed into my stomach while his tail slipped in and out of me, streaking heat through my body as another orgasm built up and took my breath away.

Every inch of my body came alive with savage energy as he continued to thrust in and out with his tail, but just as another orgasm built, he pulled out.

“Seems you like my tail a little too much.” He chuckled. “Do you like my cock the same?”

I nodded, delirious from the pheromones and pleasure. His gaze was pure lust as my pheromones seeped into his skin, and he pushed himself into me. He lifted my hips as he thrust into me.

A scream tore from my throat as the pulsating head of his tail, still slick with my desire, pushed into my back entrance. He relentlessly thrust himself inside of me over and over, filling me completely within both of my holes.

“Fuck, baby, you’re my fated, and I’m so in love with you.”

Our hearts pounded in sync, and our bodies melded along with our pheromones. Tension built inside of us with intensity, and my back bowed from the overwhelming sensory overload until I was quivering, convulsing, and shaking under him.

Frantic hands gripped his shoulders as I screamed out, clenching down on both his cock and his tail.

I was lost in the throes of pleasure, just like he wanted, but I coaxed him toward his climax as well. He jackhammered himself toward the oblivion that I was permanently in, and he came with a terrific growl, shooting up inside of me as his tail swelled.

His orgasm forced another one to explode inside me, and tears leaked down my face.

His body shivered as he kissed away my tears. “You’re such a good fucking girl, baby. I’m so proud of how well you took all of me.”

“We’re going to have to do that more often,” I croaked, my body brimming with ecstasy.

“Anything you want.” He chuckled.

Our bodies were damp and gleaming from our love making, and I sucked in oxygen, unable to think of anything but my mate.

“I love you, Rhett.” My heart swelled with love for him and flooded our bond.

He sent love back to me as our pheromones slowly seeped away from each other and back inside of us. “I love you with everything I have. I’m going to be the one to make you think when you need to and confront the ugly parts of trauma, but I’m also going to be the one to help you stop thinking whenever you need it.”

“And I’ll do the same for you,” I promised.

“You already do.”