Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30

P aige didn’t know what Archie had said to the other kids, but it seemed to have worked. Although the campers were a little shy with each other at breakfast the next day, the usual action-packed schedule soon cleared up any lingering awkwardness.

To her delight, the newfound sense of camp spirit seemed to have reached even Hetta. At the start of the afternoon’s activity session, she noticed the girl pull Conleth aside for a whispered conversation. Then, for the first time, Hetta tackled the obstacle course, Conleth discreetly at her side the entire way.

Though, as it turned out, he wasn’t needed. Despite a few hesitations, Hetta finished the whole course without mishap, to an eruption of cheers from the other kids.

It was startling to see the difference in the group now that they’d aired out their differences. Suddenly, they weren’t just eight kids thrown together for the summer, but something more.

A pack.

Paige had thought the word was just one of those cute camp terms. Now, watching the kids converge on a blushing, smiling Hetta, she finally understood what it meant.

By the time evening fell, she was feeling far more optimistic about the rest of the summer. Conleth, on the other hand, seemed to get progressively twitchier throughout the day. More than once, she caught him eying the campers warily, fingers tapping against his thigh.

“Is something wrong?” she murmured to him at the evening campfire, while most of the kids were busy arguing over who’d gotten an unfair share of marshmallows in their hot chocolate. “I thought you’d be happy they’re finally getting along.”

“I’m thrilled for them,” he muttered back out of the corner of his mouth. “And also moderately terrified for myself. Archie and Beth have had their heads together all day.”

Paige glanced around. The pair did seem to be exchanging surreptitious whispers a little distance from the rest of the group.

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?” She handed Conleth a mug of hot chocolate. “At least they’re talking to each other now.”

“That’s what worries me.” He took a sip, watching the two kids as though there was a ticking countdown hovering over their heads. “It was bad enough when they were actively sabotaging each other. I’m not sure I can survive the two of them working together.”

Whatever the kids were plotting, it seemed they were about to find out. Beth stood up, clearing her throat to attract everyone’s attention.

“Archie has something he wants to say to you, Uncle Conleth,” she announced. “Don’t you, Archie?”

Somewhat less enthusiastically, Archie stood up as well. Looking rather like he’d been gifted a free root canal, he faced Conleth.

“I’ve always thought,” Archie began in a sullen mumble, “you’re a huge butthead.”

Ignatius looked from Archie to Beth. “You spend all day workshopping, and this is what you come up with?”

“Shh.” Beth made an encouraging gesture at Archie. “Go on, Archie.”

“I didn’t like you right from the start, when Buck made me do that detention with you.” Archie glowered at Conleth. “You used big words, and you were really picky about boring stuff like numbers. And you always wore that stupid suit, and looked like you’d never touched dirt in your entire life. After five minutes, I knew everything people at camp said about you was true. You really were a giant control freak who hated anything fun.”

Ignatius raised a hand. “Are the rest of us allowed to join this public roast, or is it only Archie?”

“What Archie means is that’s how he used to see Uncle Conleth.” Beth jabbed Archie with an elbow. “Isn’t that right, Archie?”

“Right.” Archie thrust his hands into his pockets, scowl deepening. “That’s what I thought about you. Until this summer.”

Beth beamed at him.

Archie fixed Conleth with a disgruntled glare. “Now, I know you’re even worse.”

Beth’s smile froze.

Conleth, however, seemed to be enjoying himself. He took a long, unhurried drink from his mug, contemplating the two children over the rim.

“Interesting,” he said mildly. “Care to expound on that, Archie?”

Archie needed no further encouragement. “You’re not just a boring guy in a suit. You’re way weirder than that. You come up with all these crazy ideas and plans, and when they don’t work, you switch direction and keep going. And you have zero chill. Less than that. Like, negative chill. No one has ever had as little chill as you. You could probably melt a whole iceberg by standing nearby.”

“I really don’t think—” Beth started, desperately.

“I don’t get you at all.” Archie folded his arms, glaring at Conleth. “And I don’t like you, either.”

Beth had the expression of a public relations aide watching a carefully briefed political candidate completely ignore his autocue.

“But…” Archie heaved a sigh. “My sister does. For some reason.”

Conleth glanced at her, one eyebrow raising in silent inquiry. Paige pressed her lips together, fighting back giggles.

“I do,” she said, trying her best to keep a straight face. “For some reason.”

Archie set his feet, bracing himself. Then he thrust his hand in Conleth’s general direction. “So if she can put up with you, I guess I can as well.”

With the gravity of a CEO closing a billion-dollar deal, Conleth shook Archie’s hand. “Thank you. I think.”

Archie narrowed his eyes at him. “If you ever make her cry, I’ll turn into a bear and pull your insides to your outsides.”

“Noted.”

“Yay!” Nancy bounced with excitement—only about six inches, but Conleth dropped Archie’s hand in a hurry, his whole body tensing. “Now you guys can mate!”

Oh, God. Heat rushed to Paige’s face. She didn’t dare look at Conleth.

“Ah.” Conleth cleared his throat. “Much as I appreciate the enthusiasm, that’s a little premature. These things take time, you know.”

“No, they don’t,” Estelle informed him brightly. “You can do it really quickly, if you want. You just have to?—”

“GOSH, LOOK AT THE TIME,” Beth announced. “The camp bell will be ringing any minute. We’d better go get our stuff.”

“Stuff?” Conleth said warily. “What stuff?”

Finley exchanged secretive grins with Rufus. “Our backpacks.”

Paige was beginning to understand Conleth’s earlier apprehension. “Why would you need backpacks?”

“All right, you motherlovers,” growled a familiar gruff voice. Buck joined them, a backpack slung across one shoulder. “Less yapping, more hustling. Don’t want to keep Honey waiting.”

Paige looked between Buck and the kids, baffled. “What’s going on?”

“Kids said you two might be in need of a babysitter.” Buck shrugged, hitching his pack a little higher. “Thought I’d take them out camping tonight.”

“We’re not going too far, right?” Hetta said anxiously. “I heard some of the older campers say the woods aren’t safe after dark.”

Finley patted her arm. “There’s nothing to worry about, Hetta. The ghost is just a silly story some of the counselors made up to scare their campers, that’s all.”

Estelle adopted a low, spooky voice. “ Or is it .”

“Estelle!” Beth hissed. “Not helping!”

“Oh, right.” Estelle gave Hetta a hugely unreassuring smile. “We’ll be totally safe in the woods, Hetta. The ghost is only a camp rumor. Just like the blood-sucking moth monster and the escaped murderer with hooks for hands.”

“ Estelle! ”

“What? I said they weren’t real. Probably.”

“Unlike the very real and increasingly cranky expedition leader standing around waiting for you all to get your motherloving butts in gear,” Buck growled. “Are we camping or not?”

“We’re camping!” Beth yelped. She seized Hetta’s hand. “You’ll be fine, Hetta. And you did agree to the plan.”

“Well… all right,” Hetta said reluctantly. “Just remember you promised to use your power if I got scared, Estelle.”

“Bring them back by midmorning break tomorrow,” Conleth said to Buck. After a slight pause, he added, somewhat awkwardly, “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Buck said gruffly. He rounded on the kids, lifting his voice. “All right, you motherlovers! Everyone who’s coming had better fall into line! Don’t think I won’t leave you here!”

Most of the campers hurried to obey, abandoning the last of their hot chocolate and scrambling to form up around Buck. Archie, however, lingered behind.

Paige caught Conleth’s eye. He nodded, unobtrusively drifting away to help Buck organize the other campers.

She drew her brother to one side, lowering her voice. “That was a big thing you did just now.”

Archie hunched his shoulders, scuffing a foot against the ground. “Not really.”

“Yes, really.” Since the other kids were distracted, she gave him a quick but heartfelt hug. “It takes a lot of strength to let go of a grudge like that. I’m proud of you.”

He huffed, but looked a little happier. “I gotta go. Buck promised that if we got the tents up before it gets dark, he’d take us out in our shift forms tonight.”

“You have fun with your friends.” Paige hesitated. “Archie, are you sure you’re okay with this? Me and Conleth, I mean.”

From the way he screwed up his nose, he still had distinctly mixed feelings. Still, he nodded.

“You like him,” he said grudgingly. “That’s all that matters. Are you gonna mate him?”

She felt the blood rush back into her face. “Uh…”

“Archie!” Buck roared, making them both jump. “This motherloving train is about to leave the station. You jumping on board, or being a third wheel all night? Either’s fine by me.”

“Coming!” Archie yelled. He hesitated a moment. “Paige? I know things are gonna be different now. Just…don’t forget about Mom, okay?”

“I won’t.” She gave him a gentle push. “Have a good night.”

“You too.” Archie hurried off, yelling back over his shoulder, “AND USE PROTECTION!”

“Do you even know what that means ?” Ignatius muttered to Archie as Buck led the group away.

“Of course I do!” Archie replied indignantly. “I watched a video about it. If you don’t want babies, you have to put a thing called a condom on a banana.”

“Then what do you do with the banana?” Nancy asked with interest.

“I dunno,” Archie said after a thoughtful pause. “The video didn’t explain that part.”

Paige found herself alone with Conleth. Well, technically they were still surrounded by dozens of kids and counselors, since most of the other packs hadn’t yet finished their hot chocolate and headed off to their cabins. But without their own campers, it felt like they were alone.

“So, uh.” She busied herself collecting mugs, stacking them ready to be taken back to the kitchen by whichever pack was on tidying-up duty this evening. “We need to talk. In private.”

“Agreed.” Conleth seemed a little self-conscious too. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking around the square. “We could go down to the lake again, but I believe some of the counselors are planning an illicit party at the dock tonight. And the nearby woods will have too many people heading out to shift, not to mention our own campers. My office?”

Paige gathered her nerve. “I was thinking more like…your place.”

“Oh,” Conleth said, sounding somewhat taken aback. And then, in a rather different tone that sent an electric tingle down her spine, “Oh.”

“We won’t be needed back at camp until tomorrow morning.” Could his shifter senses detect the way her pulse was racing? “And you mentioned you had a house near here.”

“I do.” His eyes had gone deep and dark in the dusk. “There’s a slight complication, though.”

She swallowed, pinned by that intent, primal look. “What?”

He held out a hand. “I don’t drive to work.”

With a tingle of anticipation, she took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. Conleth led her away from the camp buildings, stopping midway between the cabins and the forest. She’d expected him to release him and step back, but instead he drew her closer. He raised her hand to his lips, brushing a soft kiss against her fingers.

“I won’t let you fall,” he murmured, breath warm against her skin. “Not ever. Trust me. And trust yourself.”

She nodded wordlessly, mouth dry. With a final caress of his thumb, Conleth let go of her hand. Holding her gaze, he backed away, opening up some space between them. His shape shimmered.

She’d only seen Conleth shift once, during the toga honk competition with Ragvald. But it had only been briefly, and she’d been too furious and frustrated to really take in his other form.

Now, all the breath left her lungs.

Even standing completely still, he had a sense of arrested motion. He was built for sky and speed; a stallion in his prime, powerful and proud.

The pegasus’s nostrils flared, drawing in her scent. He took a delicate step toward her, muscles shifting smoothly under a coat like polished copper.

Paige held out a hand to him. The pegasus lowered his head, his flame-red mane tumbling over his neck. His hot breath tickled her palm; wild and animal, yet also strangely familiar.

“Oh,” she whispered. She touched the velvet softness of the pegasus’s muzzle. “It’s you. It’s really you.”

The pegasus snorted agreement, tossing his head. As though in invitation, he spread one wing, ears pricking in her direction.

“Uh…” Paige eyed his back dubiously. It was a long way off the ground. “I’m going to need a little help here.”

This time, the pegasus’s snort sounded an awful lot like a laugh. He obligingly went to one knee, stretching out the other foreleg in a graceful bow.

Even with his shoulder dipped, it was still an intimidatingly steep climb. Paige scrabbled up as best she could, hoping she wasn’t yanking on his mane too much. The pegasus stayed patiently still as she settled herself, trying to figure out where to put her legs. After a couple of awkward experiments, she ended up tucking them behind his wings, her feet underneath his soft, rustling feathers.

“Okay.” Swallowing a surge of nerves, she took a firm hold of his silky mane. “Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”

The pegasus flicked an ear. As if testing her balance, he took a slow, careful step, then another.

Paige had been braced to cling on for dear life, but there was no need. As the pegasus paced steadily across the field, she let herself relax into the smooth, rolling motion. Even going at a slow walk, there was something exhilarating about feeling all that potential power shift under her thighs. By the time he’d reached the edge of the field, she actually found herself grinning.

“So far, so good.” She gave the pegasus’s neck a pat. “But I don’t think we’re walking all the way to your house.”

The pegasus curved his neck, flashing her a wry look out of the corner of one dark eye. With a rustle of feathers, he spread his wings.

Paige gulped, newfound confidence faltering. She braced herself, but he didn’t move. After a few confused moments, she realized why.

She whispered, “Go.”

The world blurred . Paige shrieked, sudden wind tearing the sound from her throat. She fell flat against the pegasus’s neck, clinging on with both arms, eyes tight shut. Her stomach lurched. She was going to slip, she was going to fall?—

But she didn’t.

A steady, rhythmic beat penetrated her blind panic. Despite the wind whipping past her face, she felt no more sense of motion than a gentle, up-down rocking, as if she was floating on the surface of a calm sea.

Heart hammering against her ribs, Paige dared to crack open one eye. Catching a glimpse of tiny lights far below, she hurriedly fixed her gaze on the pegasus’s ears instead. One of them tilted back in her direction.

With an effort, she forced her fingers to relax a fraction. It was just as well her arms couldn’t stretch all the way around his neck, or she would have throttled him by now.

“I’m okay,” she managed to get out, though she wasn’t sure he’d be able to hear her over the roar of the wind. Somewhat shakily, she patted him again. “I know you won’t let me fall.”

The pegasus flicked his ears in agreement. He stretched out his neck, legs tucked up underneath his body. His wings moved in smooth, powerful sweeps, carrying them through the air.

Since she suspected she couldn’t have thrown herself off his back if she’d tried, Paige risked sitting up. She didn’t dare look down, but the sky was a glorious riot of colors, ranging from deep purple-blue overhead to lingering sunset shades of pink and orange on the horizon.

She drew in a deep breath, the air cold and thin in her lungs. At some point, she’d lost her hair tie. Freed from its usual ponytail, her hair whipped in the wind.

A strange, wild exhilaration filled her. She felt like she was coming undone as well, breaking free from the constraints of normal life.

Paige could have stayed aloft for hours, but all too soon, she felt the pegasus’s muscles shift underneath her. He banked, dropping out of the sky in a tight spiral. Peering past his shoulder, she saw an isolated house rising to meet them. She barely had time for more than an impression of sleek lines and glittering glass before the pegasus’s hooves touched down on the front lawn, landing so softly she barely felt a bump.

He kneeled again, stretching out one wing to allow her to dismount. Paige slid off his back, her feet sinking into soft, rather overgrown grass. She’d been gripping so hard with her thighs throughout the wild flight, her legs felt shaky. She put out a hand to steady herself against the pegasus’s flank, only to find Conleth’s arms around her.

“All right?” he murmured.

Still breathless from the wild flight, she nodded. “That was—amazing. And over too soon. Next time, don’t rush.”

He burst into laughter. “Paige, if I’d gone any slower, I’d have been flying backwards.”

That had been slow ?

“Oh,” she said, faintly. “How fast do you normally fly?”

“A lot faster than that.” He brushed her windswept hair back from her face, tucking stray strands behind her ear. “I didn’t want to scare you.”

“I was nervous at first.” She leaned against him, letting his solid strength support her. “But I knew you wouldn’t let me fall.”

Her heart was still beating fast, though for a different reason now. Paige doubted the brief flight had taxed Conleth’s strength in the slightest, yet pressed against him, she could feel his pulse echoing her own. She slid her hands up to the back of his neck, and his breath caught.

“Paige,” he whispered, his voice gone husky with need.

She drew him down, stretching on her toes to meet him halfway. His fingertips framed her face as their lips met. This time, she made herself go slowly, savoring every light, teasing contact. His touch stayed featherlight on her skin, as soft and gentle as the kiss—yet his hands tensed, as though it was taking all his effort to hold back.

“You’re still going slow,” she murmured against his mouth.

“Not out of personal preference, believe me.” With a final brush of his lips over hers, he drew back. “But you said you wanted to talk.”

That reminded her of all the unspoken questions that still lay between them. She stepped back as well, some of the giddy exhilaration from the flight draining away. “Right. Let’s go inside.”

She turned toward the house—and her mouth fell open.

From the air, it had seemed a modest, unassuming building, half-hidden amidst the trees. Now she realized it was much larger than she’d originally thought. Sleek banks of floor-to-ceiling windows blended with stone and timber, flowing in organic curves. Greenery from a terraced roof garden softened the upper lines, while living trees rose through holes in a wide wooden deck. The whole structure seemed to float amidst the trunks, as much a part of the landscape as the forest itself.

“You live here ?” she exclaimed.

“I realize it’s a bit ostentatious for one person, but I had to maintain the pretense that I believed Joe’s damned prophecy.” He took her hand, pulling her gently across the lawn. “People would have thought it odd if I hadn’t built a home fit for my future mate.”

Paige stumbled over a hillock of grass, too busy goggling up at the masterpiece of architectural design to pay attention to where she was putting her feet. “This would be fit for the Museum of Modern Art. I feel like someone’s going to yell at me if I get too close.”

A hint of concern entered his voice. “You don’t like it?”

“Conleth, it’s the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”

He stopped, frowning down at her. “But do you like it?”

He looked honestly worried that she might not. “I love it. I’m just a little overwhelmed. My family’s entire apartment could fit onto your deck.”

Apparently reassured, Conleth guided her toward the door. “Watch your step. I haven’t had a chance to come back to cut the grass since the start of summer.”

“You own a house like this, but you still mow your own lawn?”

He shot her a rather sheepish look. “Not quite in the way you may be picturing.”

She grinned at the mental image of Conleth in pegasus form secretly snacking on his own front lawn. “So you like to indulge your animal appetites sometimes, huh?”

His gaze traveled down her body. “Some of them.”

The ten feet to the front door abruptly seemed like a mile. “If you keep saying things like that, we’re not going to make it inside.”

His eyes glinted. Without warning, Paige found herself swept off her feet. Her head whirled with a sudden rush of movement —and then Conleth was putting her down in the middle of a spacious, open-plan living room.

“Wow.” She turned slowly on the spot, impressed all over again. “This is…”

Beautiful, she’d been going to say, but that wasn’t quite right. The room was beautiful, with its warm wooden floors and stunning views across the darkening mountains. Yet it was also surprisingly cozy. She’d had a vague idea that Conleth’s tastes would run to sleek, stark minimalism, but the living space was dominated by a huge, squashy couch covered in bright blankets and fluffy pillows. Everything was gentle curves and inviting textures; soft, homely. True, there were touches of fancy technology—an elegant feature fireplace set behind glass in one wall, a discreet sound system with scattered speakers—but the overall impression was of a place to live rather than show off.

And not just a place for one person to live, she realized. The closer she looked, the more the little details became clear—all decorations set above child height, the complete lack of sharp angles. Smooth wooden floors for little feet; pillows and blankets ready for small bodies to snuggle up for a story. An old oak dining table, already scarred by previous generations, with ample space for a whole family.

On the outside, the house was elegant, impressive, sophisticated. But on the inside, it was a home.

“You,” she finished softly. “It’s very you.”

Conleth’s brow furrowed. “Is that meant to be a compliment?”

She stretched up to kiss him again. “Yes. It is.”

His dubious hmm shifted to a hungry growl as her mouth found his. His hand slid to the small of her back, pulling her closer. Paige melted against him, surrendering to blissful sensation.

With a muffled curse, Conleth broke the kiss. He set her at arms-length, though his hands lingered on her waist. “You’ll be the death of me. Before you entirely destroy the last vestiges of my willpower, what did you want to talk about?”

A different kind of heat rushed to her face. “Oh. Um. Mating. What does it involve, exactly?”

His bemused look shifted to downright alarm. “I have to admit, I was not prepared for that level of inexperience. I’m going to need a moment to adjust my plans.”

“I’m not a virgin! It’s just that I get the impression that mating means something more to you. Shifters, I mean.”

“Ah.” His expression cleared. “It does. But there’s no need to worry. We aren’t doing that tonight.”

Embarrassment fled, replaced by dismay. “We aren’t?”

Conleth laughed, pulling her close again. He captured her mouth in a long, heated kiss.

“Don’t get me wrong,” he murmured, hips moving in a slow, promising roll that wiped every thought from her mind. “I’m all yours. Any way you want. But you’re right. Mating is something more.”

At that precise moment, it was hard to imagine anything more than the hard ridge pressing against her stomach. From what she could feel, even that might be more than she could handle. Though she was more than willing to try.

With an effort, she focused on his words rather than things lower down. “So if mating isn’t just sex, what is it?”

“It’s difficult to explain.” Conleth released her, stepping back. Paige had mixed feelings about that. “But in essence, it’s a permanent connection. Not only bodies joining, but souls and minds as well.”

That matched what she’d seen of mated couples, like Buck and Honey, or Callum and Diana. “So it’s a kind of psychic link?”

“More than that.” Conleth met her eyes, expression utterly serious. “I have to make this very clear, Paige. Mates are able to share emotions and thoughts. They always feel each other, in the same way you can always feel gravity. And that bond cannot be broken. If we mate, it is forever.”

There was no question what he wanted. It was clear in the tense line of his forearms; the way his hands clenched at his sides, as if to stop himself from reaching for her.

That leashed hunger sparked a matching yearning in her own body. It was all too tempting to throw common sense in the trash and give way to that desire…but long habit held her back. She couldn’t only think of herself.

“I know we’re mates,” she said. “And I know how much you want to be fully mated. But…I’m not ready for that. Not yet, at least.”

There was no disappointment in his eyes; only understanding. “Which is why we aren’t going to mate.”

“It’s, uh, not something that can happen by accident?”

He shook his head. “Mating is always a deliberate act, above and beyond sex. The exact steps vary for different types of shifters. Traditionally, the pegasus mating ritual starts by flying one’s intended mate back to the nest.”

She suddenly regretted asking him to take her home. “Conleth, we just did that!”

The corner of his mouth lifted in amusement. “Believe me, I wouldn’t have brought you here if that was all it took. In any case, the flying part is more a custom than strictly necessary. Most shifter rituals boil down to the same thing, in fact. It’s not enough to simply be intimate with each other. To fully form the bond, I’d have to bite you.”

Paige had never been particularly into rough sex, but for some reason that prospect held distinct appeal. The thought of Conleth, all control gone, biting down hard as he strained into her…

She thrust the mental image back down. “Um. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but that sounds like something that could happen by accident.”

“I wouldn’t, but it wouldn’t matter if I did.” His voice roughened. “Paige, I could fuck you against every wall of this house, and mark you every time you screamed my name. In the morning, you’d just have a satisfied smile. We still wouldn’t be mated.”

She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the insistent pulse between her thighs. “Why not?”

“Because the mate bond isn’t something I do to you.” He took a step closer. “It’s something we make. Together. You have to want it. To want me. Truly, with all your heart.”

He was close, so close. She couldn’t look away from his eyes; dark now, all the green consumed by need. He lifted a hand, tracing the shape of her cheek, her chin. It was only the lightest of caresses, yet she felt it all the way to her toes.

“And I know you’re not ready for that,” he murmured. “Not yet.”

“It’s not you.” She didn’t want him to think he’d done something wrong, or that she harbored doubts about being fated mate. “It’s just—I haven’t even told my mom about us yet. And Archie still has big feelings about all this. And there’s still the problem of his shifting?—”

He silenced her with a long, deep kiss. When he pulled back at last, she couldn’t help making a small, needy noise of protest.

“I understand. You’ve been putting your family first for a long time, and you don’t yet know how I fit into your life.” He brushed his thumb across her mouth. “Take as long as you need, Paige. I can wait.”

Oh, how she wanted this man. “But we don’t have to wait for other things, right?”

This time, his smile held a feral promise that sent a fresh wave of heat to her core. “That depends.”

“On what?”

“On what you want.” He leaned in close, fingertips trailed down the side of her neck. “Tell me what you want, Paige.”

“I want—” She caught her breath as his mouth followed his hand, his tongue flicking across her sensitized skin. “I want to not have to think about anything beyond the two of us. Just for a while.”

She felt his lips curve against her throat. Pleasure tingled down her nerves as he kissed his way back up her neck.

“Paige,” he murmured into her ear. “I can make you forget your own name.”

She squeaked as he scooped her up again. Another blur of motion, and then he was laying her down on a bed.

“I thought you said something about walls?” she teased him as he pulled off her shoes.

“We can do that too, if you want.” He took hold of each ankle in turn, removing her socks. “But some things are logistically difficult to do standing up.”

“Such as?”

Strong hands massaged her soles in delicious circles. “Well, this, for a start.”

She let out a groan, melting back against the bed. “That’s wonderful. But you’d better not be planning to stop there.”

“Definitely not.” He planted a teasing, tickling kiss on her instep. “I’ve had a long time to think about this, you realize. I have plans. Many, many plans.”

No doubt he did, but she was already practically on fire with impatience. Pulling her foot free of his hands, she sat up. Conleth looked like he might protest, but she was already wriggling out of her t-shirt.

The look on Conleth’s face was everything she could have wanted.

“Change of plan,” was all he said.

She fell back underneath him, arching up to meet his hungry mouth. He practically ripped her bra off, tossing it aside with such force it was a miracle he didn’t take out a window. When she tugged at his t-shirt in wordless demand, he tore that off too—literally, the seams parting with a loud rip as he yanked it away from his body.

That was more like it. Finally, she could touch what she’d previously only seen. She ran her palms over his bare skin, glorying in every hard, muscled curve.

“Paige.” The way he said her name was somewhere between a curse and a prayer. He covered her shoulders in urgent, desperate kisses. “ Paige. ”

She sucked in a breath as he worked his way down. “I’m not going to forget my name if you keep saying it.”

Green eyes gleamed up at her. “Then I’d better put my mouth to better use.”

When his tongue found her peaked nipple, she almost levitated off the bed. She clutched at his hair, hips jerking in an involuntary plea.

He let out a muffled laugh, coming up for air. “Patience. I’ll get there, I promise.”

True to his word, he did—though he took his sweet time about it. By the time he finally moved on from her breasts, she was a gasping, writhing mess.

“Patience,” he murmured again, his hands pinning her wrists to the bed. “If I let you go, are you going to stay still?”

“Bossy,” she got out, in between pants.

He ran his tongue down the curve of her hip, drawing another needy whimper from her throat. “You seem to like it. Now, are you going to lie back and let me take care of you?”

At that point, she would have promised to sing the National Anthem if it meant getting what she wanted. She nodded, pressing her lips together.

He gave her a final lingering kiss an inch below her navel. “Good. Then stay still.”

With a maddening lack of haste, he unbuttoned her jeans, drawing them down. One finger hooked under the waistband of her underwear. He paused there, as though considering his next move.

“Conleth!” Despite her promise, she couldn’t help her hips bucking again. “Stop teasing!”

“I’m not.” Jaw tight, he began carefully working her panties down her legs. “I just needed a moment. You have no idea how much this is killing me.”

She squirmed impatiently. “Then hurry up.”

“Oh, I intend to.” Finally getting her underwear off, he spread her legs. His breath hissed between his teeth. “Though I also don’t want this to be over in a matter of seconds. You’re really testing my self-control here. Fuck .”

“ Yes. Please.”

He made a pained sound as he settled between her thighs. “Don’t tempt me.”

“But,” she started—and then entirely lost the ability to speak.

He hummed, tongue tracing exactly the same spiral. “Like this?”

“Guh,” she said, intelligently. Her thighs clenched around his head.

Thankfully, Conleth interpreted that correctly. He did it again, more slowly, drawing another unintelligible sound from her throat. The next time, he tried some variation that didn’t quite hit the spot. She opened her mouth to tell him so, but he’d already adjusted position. The next exploratory sweep had her seeing stars.

“Ah,” he murmured, sounding pleased. He gripped her hips more firmly, holding her in place. “There we go. Now, then…”

He pressed against her, and this time, she could have sworn his tongue vibrated . Pure ecstasy shot through every nerve. She had no idea what noises she made, but they definitely weren’t coherent words.

She came down from her climax to find Conleth watching her with deep satisfaction. Panting, she forced her legs to relax.

It took her a moment to remember how to speak. “How did you do that?”

He chuckled, turning his head to kiss the soft curve of her inner thigh. “Speed power, remember?”

“When you use your power, does everything slow down, from your perspective?” At his confirming nod, she went on, “Doesn’t that make it kind of…well, boring, for you?”

His deep growl vibrated through her core. “Not. At. All.”

“Oh.” She caught her breath, another wave of pleasure rocking through her. “Okay, then.”

He dropped his head to make another slow, maddening circle, this time sliding a finger into her as well. “I could watch you come for hours.”

She clenched around him. “Don’t you dare.”

His finger crooked, and she gasped. “Then tell me what you want, Paige.”

She was far beyond any embarrassment, pulsing with need. “You. Now.”

He didn’t need telling twice, thank God. With a final teasing lick, he withdrew his hand, leaving her empty and shuddering. In a blur of speed, his remaining clothes disappeared.

She’d seen him in swimming shorts, and in soaking wet boxers. She’d felt him pressed against her. As it turned out, this had still left a lot to the imagination.

Catching her wide-eyed stare, he paused, a condom between his fingers. “Having second thoughts?”

She swallowed hard. “No. Just a new appreciation for the phrase hung like a horse .”

“You can take it.” Finishing rolling the condom down that intimidating length, he settled between her thighs, notching himself against her. “I was made for you. Every inch.”

He pushed forward, and her whole world contracted to that single sensation. He filled her utterly, and nothing had ever felt so right.

“That’s it.” Conleth’s abs stood out in sharp ridges, as if it was taking all his strength to keep to that slow, steady pace. “You’re taking me so well. Just a little more. Fuck, you feel incredible.”

He rocked forward one final inch, finding a previously unsuspected spot deep within her body that was apparently a direct connection to a higher plane of existence. All thought drained away. She clutched at him, raking her nails hard down his back.

Conleth’s whole body jerked, making her cry out in helpless pleasure. She assumed he’d done it deliberately, but then he reared up, bracing himself above her on locked arms. Still buried to the hilt, he stared down at her with wild eyes, jaw clenched.

Worried that she’d actually hurt him, she started to lift her hands away. Conleth moved faster than sight, twisting to catch her wrist. Breathing hard, he put her palm flat against his chest, over his heart.

“Do it again,” he whispered.

A little tentatively, she flexed her fingers, pressing her nails into taut muscle. The sound that he made was pure animal. He pulled back, then thrust into her; not carefully this time, but hard and savage.

That was what she wanted. Surrendering to her own need, she clawed at him, and was rewarded with another deep, soul-rocking thrust.

“Yes,” he gasped. His hands tightened on her hips, pulling her even further onto him. “I’m yours, Paige. Take me. Mark me. Oh fuck, yes. ”

He drove into her at a brutal pace, all restraint gone at last. She was swept away in moments, lost to the relentless surge of sensation.

As she shattered around him, he snarled, burying his face in the hollow of her neck. Through the pounding waves of climax, she felt the sharp press of clenched teeth.

Yes , some wild part of her urged. Even at the height of orgasm, she had a sense of there being something more , tantalizingly out of reach. In that moment, she wanted him to bite her, more than she’d ever wanted anything in her entire life.

But he didn’t. His body locked, every muscle going rigid. She felt him pulse deep inside, finding his own release. With a shuddering gasp, his weight settled onto her. For a moment, they simply breathed together, hearts slowing.

With a reluctant sigh, Conleth pulled away, getting up to deal with the condom. Seeing the livid stripes she’d left on his back, she felt a twinge of guilt.

“You look like you went to bed with a tiger,” she said. “I didn’t mean to scratch you up so badly. Sorry.”

Coming back to the bed, he spooned around her. “Don’t be. In case you couldn’t tell, I enjoyed it. Very much.”

She grinned, snuggling back against him. “Yeah, I did get the impression you liked it. Was that a shifter thing?”

“Let’s just say I found it extremely satisfying at a primal level.”

“Mmm.” Her eyelids felt unbearably heavy. “You didn’t bite me, though.”

He brushed a kiss against the back of her neck. “Did you want me to?”

She had, if she was being totally honest. He’d said the mate bond wouldn’t form if she wasn’t ready for it, but in that moment, she had been ready.

“I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t,” she mumbled, sleep pulling her down. “There’s still so much we have to figure out. With Archie, and my mom…”

“It’s all right, Paige.” He pulled her tighter against his chest, arms a solid barrier between her and the world. “I’ll be here. Whenever you’re ready.”

He waited for a long time, listening to her slowing breaths. When he was certain she wouldn’t wake up, he disentangled himself. Paige stirred as he pulled away, flinging out a hand as if searching for him in her dreams.

“It’s all right,” he murmured. He drew the sheet up, tucking it around her shoulders. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Sitting up in bed, he found the tablet he always kept on his nightstand. Paige shifted again, mumbling an indistinct query. He stroked her hair, feeling her relax back into sleep.

Then he opened a new document, and started to make a plan.