Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

KLAUS

I lied to Morgan when she asked me if I was going to sleep with them. I didn't want to miss a moment of this bliss, so I remained awake all night, watching over my mates as they rested. Emmerich's snores didn't seem to bother Morgan at all, and they curled together, sleeping through the gray light of early dawn.

The wind had picked up during the night, howling around the tower. If Morgan will want to leave today, we might have trouble flying her home safely. But I'm hoping she won't mind staying another day, at least, and give us a chance to show her more of what it means to be a gargoyle's mate.

She stirs now, her eyelids fluttering, so I caress her cheek with my knuckles, lulling her back to sleep. I have to be so careful with her, so gentle, making sure I don't grip her too tightly or move too fast, breaking her delicate bones.

Emmerich spoke the truth when he told her about my impulsive biting issue. It has never been a problem—he loves it when I sink my teeth into his skin, and I've used that to my advantage so many times over the years. If I time it right and bite down on the correct spot on his neck, I can push him over the edge of his climax so easily.

But Morgan is human . I could tear her skin with my sharp teeth. I could rend her tendons or even a vein, causing irreparable harm.

Does that mean I won't ever be able to have my mate?

The thought is too painful to contemplate. When I told Morgan we like to fuck hard, I wasn't joking—but my issues go deeper than Emmerich's, so we'll have to be very careful going forward. Last night, I nearly broke, especially when I tasted her essence on Emmerich's lips. Both their scents combined were nearly enough to send me to madness, and if this goes any further, Morgan might not be safe with me, no matter how much I want to protect her.

A low growl starts in my chest at the thought of letting her go, and I breathe in deeply to relax. The last thing Morgan needs is to wake up with a monster growling in her face.

Emmerich is the first to awaken fully. He blinks, his beautiful eyes focusing immediately on the human woman between us. Sometime in the night, she shuffled closer to him, her delectable, naked ass nesting against his groin, but when I tried to move away at about three in the morning to give them more space, she grumbled in her sleep and grabbed the edge of my wing. It was the most endearing, heart-rending gesture, and she wasn't even aware of it.

It told me she feels our presence, too. No matter her human nature, she's affected by this mating bond stretching between us. I can only hope this also means she's strong enough to sustain two gargoyle mates without injury.

She stirs in her sleep, then grumbles and buries her face in the pillows. Emmerich strokes her hip, the move languid, but his expression tells me how he's really feeling—he looks almost reverent, so gentle and hopeful.

"What time is it?" Morgan mumbles, her voice adorably croaky.

I glance over at the clock on the mantelpiece. "Just after nine. Did you sleep well?"

With a huff, she rolls to her back and stretches, her t-shirt riding high and exposing her belly. I fixate on the spot, studying the perfect divot of her belly button, wondering if she'd find it strange if I licked it.Then the temptation becomes too strong, so I lower my head and place the tip of my tongue into the small dip, tasting her skin.

Morgan jerks, then pushes my head away, holding on to my horns to keep me from licking her again. "Stop, stop!"

I twitch away from her in horror. "I'm sorry, Morgan, I'm so sorry. Does it hurt?"

Shame descends on me, swift and bitter. Did she think I was going to bite her? Is she afraid of me?

But her scent remains calm—if anything, there's a hint of her sweet arousal, perhaps a remnant from last night or the product of having Emmerich's cock pressed to her ass for most of the night.

She keeps a hold on my horns, making it impossible to shift farther away. She gives me a little yank, and I follow her movement until I'm hovering over her, my hair forming a curtain around my face.

"Hey," she says. "It tickled . Your hair tickled my belly when you licked me. I'm not hurt. I liked it, but you surprised me."

"What's tickling?" Emmerich rumbles from behind her.

I've heard the word, and I know what it means—in theory. But I've never experienced it, so it never even occurred to me…

"You're not ticklish?" Morgan scrambles to a seated position and stares down at Emmerich. "Not even a little?"

He shrugs. "Maybe I am but I don't know it?"

Morgan's eyes get that determined glint I'm starting to associate with her scientific brain—she's curious and intends to research this issue.

She reaches out and trails her fingers along Emmerich's ribs, pressing down lightly from time to time. When he doesn't react, she moves on to his belly and tries again, then crawls down to his legs to tease his knees, then finally the soles of his feet. I think she must have forgotten she's only wearing her t-shirt—she's too distracted by this new discovery.

I watch, amusement building inside me. She's perfect . Any other human would have run from us, screaming, but we found one who's not only unafraid but genuinely interested in us.

"Nothing?" She glances over her shoulder, her hair mussed and wild.

Emmerich grins at her. "It feels nice to have your hands on me. And my cock is growing very hard for you, especially now that I'm looking at your naked ass."

"Oh!" Morgan's face flushes, and she quickly sits, then gathers a blanket around her lower half. "You could have mentioned I was half naked."

My roost mate stares at her in genuine confusion. "Why would I do that?"

She puts her hands on her face and groans softly, then lowers them again, her expression stern. "Because it's polite to tell someone if they're showing more skin than they realized. And we'll have to talk about where I'm ticklish, or we'll keep having this issue over and over."

I nod, appropriately chastened. "Certainly."

But Emmerich narrows his eyes at her. "What, you also wear clothes to the bathroom? Into the bathtub?"

Morgan opens her mouth, then shuts it again. She glares right back. "Of course not. That's—that would be impractical."

"Aha!" Emmerich sits up, a triumphant grin lighting up his face. "So there are exceptions to the naked rule. All right. I will make it my mission to find out where else it's acceptable for you to be naked, Liebchen ."

Then he's scrambling up, his wings flaring in his haste.

"Where are you going?" I ask.

I'd hoped for some more time in the nest. Perhaps we could reenact what happened last night—I've been hard for most of the night, thinking of how it would feel to finally lick Morgan's pussy like Emmerich did.

But he stands next to the nest, naked and hard, and puts his hands on his hips like an Army general. "We are going to have a bath."

" A re you sure this is big enough for all three of us?" Morgan eyes our bathtub warily.

"Not at all. We will remain outside of the bathtub for the moment," Emmerich says while he fiddles with the taps and tests the water pouring into our large clawfoot tub. Then he offers Morgan a sly look. "Unfortunately, you will have to bathe first. And we will have to wait and, uh, watch over you. Will that be a problem?"

Morgan, who insisted on bringing a sheet with her to the bathroom to cover her lower half, grins at him. "I'll live."

I'd dragged on my pants after leaving the nest because I didn't want my cock to bounce around while descending the stairs, but Emmerich had no such reservations. He's still naked, his ass flexing deliciously as he walks over to the dresser holding our towels. I want to move in and palm his cock, stroke him until he begs for more, but I want to see what his plan is. He seems to be on a mission, and I wouldn't want to cross his plans.

"Klaus?"

Morgan's voice pierces my distracted thoughts, and I turn to find her staring at me, eyebrows raised, like she has called my name more than once.

"Yes?"

"I only asked if you think I should use orange blossom or peppermint oil for the bath," she says, holding up two bottles she must have found at the edge of the tub.

I'd bought them months ago, hoping that our future mate would enjoy them, just like with the pillows and sheets in the closet upstairs. Since the summer, I've been drawn to acquire so many things in the human shops, things that had no real value for either Emmerich or me—but now it makes me wonder. Did I know ahead of time that our last mate would be human? Why else would I have bought so many warm blankets if not to keep her warm? Or these bathroom items I couldn't even tell apart?

"You choose," I rasp. "They're all for you."

Morgan's expression softens, and she sets both bottles back, then walks over to me, her sheet dragging like a train behind her. She doesn't stop until she's right in front of me, her brown eyes wide as she gazes up at me.

"What's wrong?" she asks. "If you're worried about the biting, I'm sure we'll figure it out."

I shake my head slowly, wondering how I should reply so that I won't reveal my innermost thoughts. "It's fine. Nothing is wrong."

She narrows her eyes at me. "Well, that's clearly a lie. Klaus… I don't have to smell you to know something's upsetting you. This—this thing won't work if we're not honest with each other."

Emmerich comes closer and puts his hand on my shoulder, squeezing. "She isn't wrong, you know. And I can smell you, so I know you're not telling us something."

It would kill me if Morgan rejected me because she was afraid of the biting—or being with a grumpy old gargoyle like me. It would be even worse if she accepted Emmerich and only wanted to be with him.

And perhaps that's the real issue here. They've formed such an easy relationship already, and meanwhile, I'm here, trying not to sink my teeth into my human mate's flesh instead of trying to woo her with gentle things like bath oils and fuzzy blankets.

Emmerich has the right idea, and I don't know if I can imitate him well enough. I don't know if I can prevent Morgan from running away, screaming—an event that wouldn't just hurt me but both of them as well.

I grit my teeth, grinding them together so hard my jaw hurts, and I keep my hands at my sides, not wanting to move too quickly and risk hurting Morgan.

They're asking too much . I couldn't possibly say all these things out loud.

Then Morgan bridges the gap between us and wraps her arms around my waist. Her sheet slips, and when I peer down over her shoulder, I see the rounded globes of her ass. My cock hardens in my pants despite everything—I want her, even if I'm not certain I should have her, ever.

"It's okay," she murmurs, her cheek resting against my chest. "You don't have to tell us now. Just tell me, do you want to stay here with us?"

I want to say no, but I'm physically incapable of lying to her. "Yes," I answer reluctantly. "But Morgan…"

"Then we'll start there." She speaks over me. "It doesn't have to be anything you don't want it to be. We can just relax and talk. After that, I'll need some breakfast because I'm hungry. Then we can try to figure out what to do next. Is that okay?"

My throat is inexplicably tight as I carefully put my arms around her and hold her close. She's tall for a human but still a head smaller than me, yet she fits perfectly in my embrace.

"That sounds nice," I tell her.

I can't say no. She is trying her hardest to understand us, and it means the world to me.

I glance up to find Emmerich watching us, his smile wry, a hand on his hip. I let out a deep sigh, and some of my tension melts away. Neither one of them are pushing me to speak, so maybe we can all forget about this awkwardness and move on. If I can get my strange thoughts under control, this could all turn out fine.

"Come on, the tub is nearly full," Emmerich prompts her after a moment.

Morgan lets out a sigh, squeezes me tight, then steps back, her brown eyes shiny. That sends another jolt of worry through me. Is she on the verge of crying? Humans cry a lot, and I'm not certain tears always mean deep sadness like with gargoyles, but what if she's still unhappy? I sniff the air between us but can't sense anything other than warmth and her relaxed, soft scent.

Huh .

It will take as much time for us to learn about humans as it will for Morgan to learn about us.

I won't rest until I know every single thing about her. How she takes her coffee. The kind of books she likes to read. The foods that bring a smile to her face and the films she enjoys. But most of all, I want to learn how to please her in every way, to show her how much joy we can find together.

"Right, I'd better get in." Morgan glances toward the tub. "I'm all sticky from last night."

I hum, my cock twitching. "I could lick it off you. If you don't want to bathe."

She flushes a deep pink, and I think I might have gone too far, but she stops in front of the bathtub and lifts her hands, indicating I should remove her t-shirt.

"All right, bathing it is," I murmur.

I put my hands on her waist, marveling at how different her smooth, golden skin is to my gray tone. Then I push the fabric up, exposing her perfect tits, which I had the pleasure of sucking last night. I don't tug her t-shirt off immediately but instead linger, cupping her tits with both palms. I run my thumbs gently over her nipples, watching in fascination as they draw in tighter, forming perfect little buds.

"Look how well you fill my palms."

My voice has gone guttural, too rough, but Morgan doesn't seem to mind.

She sways closer, her hands resting on my upper arms."Klaus…"

I swallow thickly, then force myself to let go and do what she asked me to do. I draw her t-shirt over her head carefully so I don't dislodge her glasses, then take a step back.

Emmerich offers her his hand and helps her climb in. She gasps at the first contact with the hot water, then sits and leans back with an indecent moan.

My cock strains against my pants, so I press down on it, willing myself to hold it together.

"This feels so good," Morgan murmurs. "Exactly what I needed."

She lifts one long leg out of the water and rests the foot on the edge of the tub.

Realizing it's the one she injured yesterday, I draw closer, unable to stay away. "Does it still hurt?"

"No." She looks up at me, expression marveling. "That chutney thing really helped."

Emmerich crouches next to the tub, gently grasps her foot, and rotates it in slow, careful circles. "How does this feel?"

Morgan nibbles her lower lip. "Really good. I like it."

Emmerich groans, and I barely bite back an echoing sound—she is so responsive, so perfectly attuned to us, it's all I can do to keep my hands to myself.

But maybe I don't have to…

I kneel on the opposite side of the tub from Emmerich, right behind Morgan. She casts a coy look at me, then closes her eyes, leaning her head on the edge. From this vantage point, I have the perfect view of her wet body, her tits just under the surface of the water, her pussy hidden in the shadows between her legs.

My hands itch with the need to touch her, but I don't want to presume.

"Do you want Klaus' help with washing?" Emmerich asks suddenly.

I snap my gaze up to him, and he grins, his expression impish.

Morgan's lips turn up in a smile. "That would be lovely. Like I said earlier, I'm very sticky."

My hands tremble as I take a washcloth and wet it, dipping it in the water in front of her. Then I lean forward, bringing my cheek close to hers from behind.

"I'll have to touch you," I rasp. "To make sure you're nice and clean."

"You can touch me anywhere." She tips her head back to rest on my shoulder. "The water feels amazing."

My control is fraying, and she doesn't even know it. I glance up at Emmerich to see if he'll intervene, but he's still crouched in place, watching us, his eyes heavy-lidded.

I brush Morgan's damp, golden curls from her neck and run my nose over her shoulder, inhaling deeply. Then I take a bar of soap and rub the washcloth over it, creating a thick layer of foam. I move to the side of the tub to take Morgan's right arm and wash it thoroughly, from her shoulder to her fingertips, then flip it over and do the inner side as well, drawing a gasp and a giggle from her lips.

"Ticklish?" I ask, lifting one eyebrow.

"Yeah." She squirms but doesn't shift away. "I don't mind now that I'm anticipating it. You just surprised me earlier."

I hum to tell her I understand, then take another washcloth and toss it to Emmerich. He snatches it from the air and gives me a wide-eyed look, but I just nod at him to let him know that yes, I want him to help. He orchestrated this whole scenario, and he should reap the benefits.

And benefits they are—washing our mate is an almost sacred experience, especially since she seems to love it as much as we do.

He lathers up his washcloth and starts on her foot, resulting in more giggles, but I don't want to just watch, so I massage my washcloth over Morgan's neck and shoulders, carefully moving her hair out of the way. She gives me her glasses to set aside, then dips underwater and lets me wash her hair with one of the scented shampoos I'd gotten for her. Her little sighs are everything , and I intend to do this every day forever if she lets me.

By the time Emmerich starts on her other leg, Morgan is all but purring in pleasure, her scent so sweet, it's driving me mad. I've been avoiding her tits and the juncture of her thighs, as well as her ass, but when she bends forward to let me wash her back, I groan at the sight of her lush buttocks just outlined under the sudsy water.

"Gods, Morgan, you're a vision." I reach down into the warm water to trace the dip of her waist. "I never dreamed our mate would be this beautiful."

She lets out a quiet huff of breath. "Really?"

Emmerich nods vehemently. "It's hard to tell what my expectations were—they all faded from my memory the moment I saw you."

He runs his washcloth down her pale thigh, and she spreads her knees all by herself, giving him better access. But Emmerich, the tease, just grins and retraces his movements up her leg again.

"Klaus," she moans, shuffling back to rest her head on the edge of the tub.

I lean closer and cup her cheek with my hand. "What is it, sweet?"

Her calling my name while she's in the grip of lust is the best thing in the world. I want to hear it every day, want to hear her screaming it when I fuck her.

She shivers, then leans into my touch."I want this."

Her whisper seems to pierce straight through the worries that have been plaguing me.

"You do?" I lick her neck, feeling as if I'll go mad if I don't taste her skin right now."You'll have to tell me exactly what it is you want, Morgan. Or I might take everything from you. Because that's what I want. Every single piece of you."

Her gasp reverberates around the bathroom, but she doesn't move away from me. She doesn't try to escape or reach for Emmerich.

I'm running my hands all over her, from her belly to her tits, down her arms and to her soft, warm thighs. I want them wrapped around my waist as I fuck her deeply, but I'll take this, I'll take any bit of her she's willing to share.

Then I look up to find Emmerich grinning at me as if this is what he had planned all along. And maybe he had? I didn't know my mate was capable of subterfuge, but perhaps he is willing to manipulate me a little, to push me past my comfort zone.

"I want you to make me come," Morgan says, her voice breathy but firm. "And I've been thinking… Now that you're still in control, do you want to try biting me?"

I freeze, my hands stilling on her hips, my mouth an inch from her skin. "What?"

Morgan cranes her neck to meet my gaze. "If you're afraid of letting go with me, we should practice. See where our limits are. I've never been bitter during sex, and you've never bitten a human. This is new territory for both of us, so we should do a controlled experiment."

I stare at her, blood pounding in my ears. "There's nothing controlled about what I'm feeling right now."

"I know you can do it. I trust you."

I glance at Emmerich to see if he's hearing this, but he seems to be well on his way to taking a nap judging by how relaxed he is. He's slowly massaging Morgan's foot, rubbing her sole with his thumbs, and I don't think he will help me with this.

It's my decision.

Morgan goes as if to move away from me—or maybe she just wants to face me fully—but I can't allow it. Now that I have her where I want her, I don't know how I'll let her go.

She smells so fucking good, I want to eat her, and I've lost all sense of propriety. Without thinking, I reach right between her legs and cup her pussy with my hand. It's so damn large compared to her, a monster's paw clutching at her, but Morgan doesn't seem to mind. She spreads her thighs and lets out a low moan. Her hands come up to clutch my arm, and it dawns on me that this is what she wanted all along.

Oh .

Glancing up at Emmerich, I find him smirking at me. Of course, he knew. I was so worried about hurting her or not fitting in, and all the while, they were waiting for me to get out of my own way and let my instincts take over.

I lower my head and graze my teeth from Morgan's shoulder to her neck, then follow the same line with wet kisses, tasting her. At the same time, I spread her lower lips with two fingers, then swipe my middle finger through her.

"There," she gasps, her chest expanding on a deep inhale. "That feels so good."

My entire body is primed and ready to fuck my mate, this beautiful human, but I'm holding on to this last shred of control. I can't do that yet, not until she comes at least once, and not in this bathtub. When she lets me into her body, I want her spread out in our nest, not squished in a small receptacle like this.

But I can definitely make her come without impaling her on my thick cock.

"What was it that you said last night?" Emmerich asks suddenly. "That Morgan and I looked good together? I can now say the same. I never thought I'd be this turned on by watching my mates pleasure each other."

I dip my finger lower, tracing the opening of Morgan's pussy. She's slick there, I can feel it despite the water, but the angle is wrong—I can't push my fingers into her and tease her like I want. Not without possibly nicking her tender flesh with my claws.

"Hmm." I roll my fingertips over her clit, enjoying her little gasps. "Emmerich, tell Morgan what you feel when I bite you."

He sucks in a breath, his wings flaring wide. "Oh, Liebchen , you will like it. Maybe just a nick for the first time, Klaus?" He looks up at me, his eyebrows high. "Just a tiny taste?"

I grin at him, pleased by his enthusiasm. I know he loves it when we fuck, and I can't wait to see how Morgan will fit into our roost.

"Explain it to her," I purr. "Tell her how hard it makes you come."

He groans, shifting in place, and I know he's itching to grasp his cock and stroke it—because I am, too.

He faces Morgan and reaches for her hand, then brings it up to his cheek, nuzzling into her palm. "When Klaus bites me, I feel him everywhere . Not just his cock but his spirit, connecting with mine." He glances up and gives me a small smile. "It's the purest form of love."

Morgan's eyelids flutter, and she lowers her gaze to her lap. "Oh. Then maybe I understand why you don't want to bite me yet."

I freeze, my hand cupping her pussy. "What?"

She squirms, but when she realizes I'm not letting go, she lets out a huff of exasperation. "Well, if it's love you need to bite me, I get why we're not there yet. It takes time. It's perfectly fine, and I don't mind at all."

Her words sound very reasonable, but her scent changes, a noticeable shift from sweet and turned on to embarrassment, bordering on…misery?

Oh, that will not do.

I press a kiss to her neck, then trail my lips to her shoulder, tasting her skin. She shivers, an instinctual response she can't hide from me—and I know she wants this.

She wants us , wants everything, but is afraid to ask. Whatever happened to her in the past to make her doubt herself, I will work all my life to undo it. To shower her with all the attention and love she needs, to protect her and satisfy her every whim.

"I want you on the verge of an orgasm before I sink my fangs in you," I murmur. "I've wanted it since the moment I saw you in the woods, Morgan. Never doubt that."

Emmerich is nodding, his expression radiating concern. "Yes, he is telling the truth. There is no need to wait, but we know humans don't bite each other. It's why Klaus is hesitating. What if you got scared and wanted to leave? We didn't want to scare you."

Morgan's beautiful eyes fill with tears, and she cranes her neck to look at me. "Is that true?"

I swallow thickly, my heart pounding. If I fuck this up now, she might still leave—and Emmerich will never forgive me. "It's true. I don't know if I could let you go. I would stalk you and keep you safe. I would kill any man who tried to put his hands on you. You're mine , Morgan, and I protect what's mine."

She's staring up at me, her breaths quickening. Goose bumps erupt on her skin despite the warm water, and my insides twist at the sudden fear that I've gone too far at last. That I said the wrong thing, even if it was the truth.

Morgan reaches up suddenly, grasping the back of my neck. She strains up and tugs me down at the same time, bringing our lips together in a violent kiss. She devours me, and I let her lead until she whimpers against my lips—then I take over. I tip her chin up and keep a hold of it to plunder her mouth, biting and licking like I've wanted to since the first moment I saw her. She's not holding back, so I don't either, and it quashes my fears better than any of her words.

She really wants this, and she's not afraid of us. She's not backing down.

Knowing this gives me the control I need. I break the kiss, grinning down at her. Her lips are pink and swollen from our kiss, her eyes hazy with lust. I drop another kiss on her mouth, then settle behind her like before, one hand on her pussy.

When I reach into the water with my other hand to cup her breast and pinch her nipple, Morgan relaxes back against the tub, her body relaxing. That's exactly what I want—I need her soft and distracted so she won't tense her muscles when I bite her.

She jerks lightly when I return to teasing her clit, but I just keep at it until her eyelids flutter shut, her lush lips parting. I jerk my chin at Emmerich to indicate he should help, and he takes her other ankle and digs his thumbs into the arch of her foot, drawing a moan from her.

I slide my fingertips lower, brushing the entrance of her pussy. Morgan brings her hand up to grasp my arm and hold on to it.

"Is that the spot?" I murmur in her ear. I lick the delicate shell, tracing the pattern with my tongue. "Is that where you want me, Engel ?"

"Yeah." Her grip intensifies, and she sinks her blunt nails into my skin. "Right there, please."

"So polite," Emmerich rasps. "So fucking lovely when you demand to be fucked, Morgan."

She tips her head back, leaning on my shoulder where I'm pressed up against the tub. The position gives me an excellent view of her body—her tits bouncing with every move she makes, right at the surface of the water, her nipples drawn into tight points. But I want more, and it's getting harder and harder to hold myself back.

"Will you bite me when I come?" she asks, her voice breathless.

Can she read my mind? Maybe the mate bond works even more mysteriously than I'd previously thought.

"It will bind you to me." I force the words out before it's too late. "Complete the mate bond."

Morgan cries out and rides my hand, her slick body writhing against me. "I thought it was complete! I'm falling for you so quickly, I was sure that was it."

I snarl, the sound too feral, too wild. "You're killing me. You're everything we dreamed of, Morgan, and I want to make you mine, then watch as Emmerich bites you, too, so you'll never leave."

"Fuck!" Emmerich shudders, his big body curled over the tub. He's losing control as much as I am, and it's only a matter of time before he plucks Morgan from the bath and carries her upstairs to fuck her. "Klaus, do it ."

My mouth waters with the thought of tasting her blood, and my cock pulses with the need for release. I'm close to coming, even though I haven't touched myself yet—it's just her , wreaking havoc on me.

"Please," Morgan begs, writhing in the water. "I'm so, so close, Klaus!"

My exhale is a shuddering sigh. "How did we get so lucky? You're perfect. So curious. So brave." My voice comes out low, the final words I have to tell her heavy with meaning. "It's far more binding than human marriage, more permanent than any contract. If you think we're obsessed now, possessive of you, there's no limit of what we'd do for you afterward. And you'll feel the same about us. Once Emmerich bites you as well, we'll be able to feel each other, track each other by blood. Are you sure that's what you want?"

If I was a better person, I would wait to hear her answer when she's calm, not thrashing on the cusp of her climax. She could reject me—reject us—right now, and I would move away, but if there's a chance we'll get to keep her, I'm not throwing it away.

She opens her beautiful eyes and gazes right up at me. Then she breathes, "I'm sure."

Hope swells inside me, almost painfully intense. Emmerich lets out a helpless groan, kissing Morgan's leg, and I know he feels the same.

I give Morgan a nod because words have deserted me. Then I return to my mission of bringing her to a swift, powerful orgasm—hoping that she won't regret this.

Nuzzling her neck, I brush aside her damp curls and choose the spot carefully—it will scar, a faint, silvery mark on her skin that will remain there forever, irrefutable proof of our bond. Not too high on her neck, even though I want everyone to know she's mine, but not too low on her shoulder, or my fangs could nick her bones. But there's a soft, fragrant spot between those that's just right.

I press a kiss there and soothe it with my tongue.

Then I sink my teeth into her skin.