Chapter 34

Chapter

Thirty-Four

Callista

B lake's truck sounded in the drive and we stood there silent, staring at each other. My wolf paced, ready to leap out of my skin. She needed him the way plants needed water. It was primal. Carnal. Spiritual. The thrill of it sent shivers down my spine.

The front door opened. "Callista?"

"Yeah!" I called out, never breaking my gaze.

Blake tromped down the hall. "Are you okay?"

"Mmhmm. Just going to bed."

Blake shuffled his weight, and the floorboards creaked. "There's an extra set of boots at the front door. I?—"

"They're mine, Blake."

He was silent a moment. "They're huge."

Kael raised an eyebrow, and I stifled a laugh. "Yep. A friend of mine left them in Lana's truck."

"Got it." Blake sighed. "Do you need anything?"

"Go to sleep, Blake."

He walked back down the hall. "Goodnight."

"‘Night."

Kael waited until he heard dishes clattering in the sink before lifting me off the floor and throwing me on the bed.

"Shh!" I laughed, but Kael's hand was already at the waistband of my jeans.

"Off," he whispered. He flicked open the button, and I yanked them over my hips. He pulled them off and threw them on the floor.

Kael stripped off his shirt and lay down next to me, pulling me against him. My body responded like a magnet, pressing against the hard planes of his chest. I wanted to drown in his scent as he lowered his head and pressed his lips against the nape of my neck.

His lips were everywhere. Dragging over my collarbone, my jaw, then finally over my mouth. He tasted of mint as his tongue teased mine, and I moaned. His grip on my hips tightened as he rolled his hips against mine.

The urge to tear off his clothes, to feel his bare skin against mine warred with my desire to savor every second. I let my hands wander, exploring the muscles of his back as he moved against me.

Kael's hands slid under my shirt, his fingers grazing the sensitive skin just below my ribs. I arched into him, and he groaned. His breath was hot against my ear as he whispered, "I need you."

I nodded, unable to form words. My body was a live wire, every nerve ending on high alert. Kael's hand moved lower, slipping under the waistband of my underwear, and I gasped. He and I both knew this wasn't like last time. This wasn't release. This was what our wolves had known we needed all along.

A physical and spiritual bond. A melding of our souls and our magic.

"Your my mate," I whispered. "I want you as my mate."

"I'm yours," he growled.

His damn fingers worked me into a frenzy, and I teetered on the edge, on the brink of oblivion. I grasped his hand and opened my eyes, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Kael's eyes were dark, his pupils dilated. He looked like a man possessed, and I was his willing victim.

"I can't do this again," I whispered, and as his face fell, realized he hadn't understood. I wrapped my hand around his neck and pulled him closer. "When I bond with you, I can't be quiet. I'm already going to bite right through my tongue."

Kael let out a shaky breath. "I thought you meant?—"

"I know. Poor choice of words. I'm sorry."

He pulled back and met my eyes, the wheels in his head turning. Then he slid off the bed and motioned for me to stand. When I did, he grabbed the quilt off my bed and yanked open the window.

"Kael, what are you doing?" I whispered, but he didn't answer. Instead, he threw the quilt out onto the grass and jumped after it.

I stood there for a split second, dumbfounded, then ran to the window. The night air was cool against my flushed skin. "I'm not going to jump!" I hissed.

Kael reached up, his eyes dancing. "Just sit on the sill. I'll pull you out." I did as he asked, supporting myself as Kael grasped my lower half.

When my feet touched the grass, I laughed. "This feels naughty."

Kael grinned. "I thought you'd like it." He threw the quilt at me, then crouched and motioned for me to get on his back.

I laughed and climbed on. "What, no harness this time?"

Kael bucked playfully as he stood, then took off with only socks on his feet into the trees.

"Do you know where you're going?" I asked.

Kael grunted. "Far enough that Blake won't hear you scream."

My stomach dropped like I'd just hit the highest point on a playground swing and was plummeting back to the earth. "You've never heard me scream."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Kael carried me five more minutes then stopped when we reached a break in the trees. He panted as I spread the quilt out on the ground, then turned to face him. The moonlight filtered through the branches, casting a soft glow on his face.

I took a step forward, and he closed the distance between us. His hands were on me again, and I melted into his touch. The knowledge that there was no rush, no need to hold back, sent electricity flaring through me.

Kael's hands roamed my body, exploring every curve and hollow. He unclasped my bra, finding new skin to suck and tease.

My hands fumbled with the buttons on his jeans, and Kael helped me, pulling them off and tossing them to the side. His skin was warm under my hands, his muscles taut and ready. I ran my fingers over his chest, then tentatively explored his second arm. The one that never fully formed.

Kael sucked air through his teeth.

"I'm sorry, does it hurt?"

He shook his head. "No, I—nobody ever touches me there. It's…sensitive." His eyes were closed, and his skin prickled under my touch.

"I want to touch you there." I watched his face as I pressed my lips to his skin, kissing my way over his shoulder and down, holding his arm in my hands. "You're shaking."

"This is terrifying."

I frowned, nipping at him. "Why?"

He clenched his jaw. "Showing you my weakness. Letting you see all of me."

I straightened, cupping his face in my hands. "I don't see any weakness. I love every part of you. Maybe that part best."

Kael huffed a laugh. "Best?"

I grinned. "Second best?"

Kael slipped my underwear off, and I stood before him, completely exposed. I didn't feel an ounce of self-consciousness. Safe.

"Callista," he growled, and my wolf howled inside me. I reached out. Kael grabbed my hands, pulling me down onto the quilt with him.

He positioned himself over me, his body a cage of heat and muscle. Kael lowered himself, his lips brushing against my ear. "I want to hear you say it," he whispered, and his breath sent shivers down my spine.

"I want you, Kael. You're mine. My mate." My voice was barely a whisper, but it was enough.

Kael's eyes darkened, and I gasped as our bodies melded into one. We moved in perfect sync, both of us reading the other like braille. I clung to him, my nails digging into his back, as color and heat swirled within me.

My wolf was wild, her energy crackling like electricity. She wanted to claim him, to mark him as ours. My heartbeat quickened, and I knew Kael could hear it. Could feel my pulse under his fingertips.

"I'll take care of you. I'll protect you, always." His voice was rough as he sank his teeth into my shoulder, marking me his.

A wave of euphoria pulsed through me as our magic, our wolves connected, swirling into one. I returned the mark, biting the side of his neck with his pulse hot against my tongue.

"Kael—" I threw my head back, my body exploding in pleasure as I cried out into the night. Wave after wave crashed over me, my body convulsing with the intensity of it. Kael's grip on my hips tightened. He tensed above me, and then collapsed, his body slick with sweat.

For a moment, the world was silent except for the sound of our breathing. I gripped him, reveling in the weight of him before he rolled off me, pulling me into his arms. The night air was cool against my skin, but his body was a furnace, keeping me warm.

We lay there in silence, our bodies entwined. The steady beat of Kael's heart against my back was the most comforting sensation in the world.

Finally, Kael spoke. "Well, that was a first."

I laughed, the sound muffled against his chest. "What, you don't usually drag women off into the woods?"

Kael's chest rumbled with laughter. "Not usually, no."

I turned in his arms, my head resting on his shoulder. "Thank you," I whispered.

Kael's brow furrowed. "For what?"

"For making it perfect." I reached up, tracing the lines of his jaw with my fingers. "For making me feel wanted." We lay on the quilt, limbs tangled together, and stared up at the stars.

"I think your wolf is finally satisfied," he murmured, his voice a low rumble in his chest.

I raised my head and grinned. "She's been very patient, I'll have you know."

Kael chuckled. "Patient? That's not the word I would've used."

I kissed his shoulder, my skin buzzing. "Alphas. Always so stubborn." I pushed up on my elbows. "You realize you do have a pack now."

He raised an eyebrow. "A pack of two?"

I nodded. "I'll follow you anywhere, Kael."

He brushed a tendril of hair from my cheek. "What if I lead you astray?"

I turned my cheek into the palm of his hand. "Oh. I'm counting on it."