Chapter 31: Kiara

Chapter 31: Kiara

In the weeks following the ritual, the Gunnison area fell into the sleepy tranquility of recovery. The aftermath left all three packs in tatters, their numbers halved and a sense of security broken. Even with Lothair and the dragons gone, uncertainty in the fates of the packs left many wolves questioning whether it was worth staying in the home they’d always known when home had become tainted by so much death and loss.

The Mythguard cleaned up the mess that David left behind. We were fortunate that he hadn’t made it into the town and attacked any humans, but there were still so many shifters whose deaths had to be explained to their human friends and family. A service was held for Sebastian Hicks and the other human operatives who had perished in the extermination attempts, and then each pack held its own funeral for those who were slain over the past couple of months. With the onset of October, cool autumn weather turned the atmosphere miserable and grey, the solemn mood settling over each and every one of us. It was difficult to feel relief when we all had someone to mourn.

Dalesbloom crumbled in the absence of David. Garrett, his Beta, had died the night of the ritual, leaving no leadership in place. Colt considered leaving the Gunnison area. He’d suggested that we move to a big city and try to build a new life there, leave his father’s legacy behind, and though I was willing to go anywhere with him, it was the other two Alphas who implored him to reconsider. Gavin and Everett insisted there had always been three packs in the Gunnison area, one pack for each town so that the territory could be protected equally among them, and if Colt didn’t stay, then they didn’t know if they could trust whoever took over Dalesbloom. Billie wanted him to stay—he was her brother, no matter what happened between them. They were family, and they still needed each other. Ultimately, Colt put off the idea of moving for now.

On a dark, rainy afternoon, Colt and I were still cleaning up the manor. With Hexen Manor left in his name, Colt was undecided on what to do with it yet. So we went room by room and organized what was there, cleaning and purging anything we didn’t need, sifting through his father’s documents to get a better idea of what business he was involved in—and what we might expect to encounter following his death. Along with the manor, Colt inherited all of David’s outstanding debts and arrangements for illicit products moving through the towns. He didn’t know how he was going to pay everything off, except for possibly selling the manor. I had no problem with that. The only memories I had of this foreboding house were of being kidnapped and held hostage within it.

We’d been sifting through papers in David’s office, loading documents into boxes, when Colt finally stood up and sighed. “We’ve been at this for hours,” he said. “I think I need a break.”

Sitting in David’s chair, I looked up across the desk at him. Colt was looking better these days. Healthier. Colt maintained his hair in an Ivy League style cut left somewhat haphazard today, strands of black hair in messy tufts that looked far more attractive than when he styled it for a day at the office. His blue eyes looked brighter behind dark-rimmed glasses that he wore more often. Despite the leanness of his body, the muscular definition in his arms was hard to ignore, his chest becoming broader as he doubled down on his exercise regimen. Blue jeans and a black t-shirt made his appearance simple and equally as intellectual as he was attractive. He caught me gazing at him and threw me a charming smile.

Butterflies erupted in my stomach. It was so easy to feel like I was falling in love with him over and over again.

“You look like you’re thinking about something,” he said, planting his hands on the desk. “What is it?”

I was briefly distracted by the rugged appeal of his knuckles, and then the scar crossing the bridge of his nose. Leaning back in the chair, I brushed my fingers through my hair, took out my ponytail, and reconstructed it, my short hair already on its way to growing back out. “Just what I’d rather be doing instead of going through your dad’s boring paperwork.”

“And what’s that?”

I produced a little smile for him, propping up my chin on my palm. If he really wanted to know what I was thinking, he could just probe the telepathic connection of our marked bond, but I knew he was just being coy. “Why don’t you come around this side of the desk and find out?”

Colt wasted no time rounding the desk, standing above me and craning his neck to catch me in a long kiss. He bent over me, sliding his hand along my side and down under my thigh, coaxing me to my feet, but only so that he could maneuver me against the desk. Parting my legs, he nestled himself between my thighs and lifted my ass up onto the desk, pressing in as close as he possibly could until I felt him bulging against my groin. It was a regular occurrence that we became distracted by each other’s bodies, especially when left to our own devices in the manor. But we still had yet to have sex. All this time, we’d just been getting to know one another, but today I wanted him in a way I’d never had him before.

While he lavished my neck in kisses, I pushed a hand under his shirt and used the other to play with his belt buckle, unzipping his jeans and fondling the erection hidden in his boxers. He groaned against my neck and bucked against my hand, asking for more. As I took the length of his cock in my palm, he ensnared my lips and pushed me down onto the desk, knocking everything off of it in the process. Colt’s breathing grew harder and heavier as he thrust into my hand, only to slip his fingers between my plush labia, rubbing me outside of my leggings. Excitement spiked through my body as I craved to feel more. “Take off my leggings,” I murmured between kisses.

Colt obediently pulled my leggings off, taking my thong with them. I sat up and pulled off my blouse while he stripped off his jeans and t-shirt, then he stopped me from removing my bra, electing to do it himself while he planted kisses on the side of my neck. Within seconds, we were both naked and sprawled across his father’s desk, relishing the heat of skin-to-skin contact. At the touch of his head between my lips, I shuddered, already so wet that it would have been easy for him to dive inside.

But he didn’t. He knew he had to be careful and respect my boundaries, even though the sensation of him gliding his cock against my clit made me drunk with ecstasy. I finally broke. “I want you inside me.”

The words alone sparked enough gratification in my mate to make him moan. He grabbed my ass and pulled me closer, positioning himself to enter me. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I need to feel you,” I breathed.

“Are you comfortable?”

“Of course I am.”

“No, I mean…” Colt paused, sliding his hand up the small of my back to support me. “On the desk?”

I laughed. The desk wasn’t all that comfortable, but it didn’t matter. I didn’t want to ruin the moment by running to the nearest bed. “It’s fine, Colt. I want you now.”

“I want you too.” With my permission to proceed, Colt arched over me, watching the visceral reaction of my body as he pushed inside me. The feeling of his member entering my warmth was dizzying, all of a sudden exerting pressure on my sensitive spots that ignited pleasure through every inch of me. My loins burned with the desire to take in all of him. With cautious thrusts, Colt gradually filled me up and then panted above me, meeting my eyes with a husky intonation. “Your tight pussy is to die for.”

He almost did die for it. I laughed and squeezed my legs around his hips, drawing him closer. Colt picked up a steady rhythm, rocking me on the desk at first, slow and tenderly, allowing me to take my time experiencing him. We shared long, passionate kisses, barely pausing to breathe before batting at one another with our tongues. As the heat rose between us, Colt’s pace picked up until he was pounding hard between my thighs, turning off all senses except our nerves stimulated by eroticism. I didn’t expect the satisfaction would be so powerful, but with each thrust, my body felt tighter and hotter, my insides coiling in anticipation of completion. And when it finally struck, the bliss was blinding. My body tensed and then became fluid with warmth from my core to my extremities, tingling and buzzing with delight. My muscles squeezed Colt into orgasm, and he uttered a long, trembling groan as he released inside me.

When it was done, we were both left panting and sweaty, our bodies glistening. Colt remained poised above me, slowly kissing me and unwilling to detach. Even though I was just lying beneath him, my body felt exhausted, the pleasure having drained all my energy. “That felt amazing,” I told him.

His shoulders shook with a chuckle. “I’ll give you that every day for the rest of your life.”

“Yes, please.”

I ran my fingers through his hair, tipping his head back to meet his eyes again. The hazy grin on his face showed me what Colt could look like without worries or trauma plaguing his heart. This carefree happiness was what I wanted for him for the rest of his life, too.

But his expression faded after a moment, returning to seriousness reminiscent of the past few weeks. “Kiara… If I stay here, chances are I’ll have to become the Alpha. Are you ready for that?”

It was something I had thought a lot about. “I’ll support you no matter what you decide. Are you ready for it?”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready. But Gavin and Everett want me to do it, and I trust that they would… I don’t know, give me pointers, at least.”

“They want to restore the alliance between your packs. Of course, they’d help.”

“Yeah. But if I become Alpha, with you as my mate… you’ll never be able to live a life in secrecy again. Everyone will know that you’re part unicorn.”

I’d thought a lot about that, too. “You think my life could be in danger?”

“There’s always going to be danger. I’ll protect you like I promised I would. But are you willing to take that risk?”

I clasped my hand over the back of Colt’s neck, pressing my brow against his. “I’m not just a unicorn, you know. I’m a wolf too. Anybody who tries to mess with me will get the teeth.”

“That’s right. Sometimes I forget how scary you can be.”

“You need to be reminded.” So I clutched his lip between my teeth and gently bit him.

We stretched across the desk, laughing and nibbling on each other before descending into another bout of passionate lovemaking. I never would have guessed that we were meant for each other. Leave it to the Sky Goddess to declare us a match made in heaven.