Chapter 7

Grace

I watch Aiden as he chats with the mayor, his posture relaxed and his smile genuine. Last night’s meeting, the baring of his soul, has transformed him. It’s as if a weight has been lifted, a shadow banished by the light of truth and acceptance.

I see him now, not as some flawless, mythical alpha, but as a man. Flawed, yes, but striving every day to be better, to make amends for his past, and to build a brighter future.

And moon help me, I love him all the more for it.

As if sensing my gaze, Aiden turns, his green eyes finding mine across the room. The warmth and tenderness in his look steals my breath and sends my heart racing in my chest.

He excuses himself from the mayor and makes his way to me, his strides filled with purpose. I feel the pull of our bond, the magnetic tug that draws us inexorably together.

“Hey there, sunshine,” he murmurs as he reaches me, his hands settling on my hips as naturally as breathing. “Penny for your thoughts?”

I loop my arms around his neck, playing with the soft hair at his nape. “Oh, just thinking about how far we’ve come. And how lucky I am to have such a brave, strong, utterly wonderful mate.”

Aiden’s eyes darken, his fingers flexing on my curves. “I’m the lucky one,” he rumbles. “I don’t deserve you, Grace. But I swear, I’ll spend every day trying to be worthy of your love.”

I press a finger to his lips, silencing him. “You already are,” I say softly. “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, Aiden. Everything I didn’t even know I needed.”

His lips curve under my touch, his gaze turning heated. “Yeah? Well, I can think of a few other things you might need right about now.”

I grin, tracing his bottom lip with my thumb. “Oh? And what might those be, Mr.

Big Bad Wolf?”

Aiden growls playfully, nipping at my finger. “Let me show you.”

In a blur of speed, he sweeps me into his arms, making me squeal and laugh. He silences me with a kiss, deep and drugging, as he carries me out of the community center and into the warm summer night.

We barely make it back to my apartment above the bakery before we’re tearing at each other’s clothes, lips and hands hungry for skin. Aiden lays me out on the sturdy dining table, his eyes glowing gold as he takes in my flushed, eager body.

“Moon, you’re stunning,” he rasps, trailing reverent fingers over my curves. “I could spend hours just worshiping you.”

“Only hours?” I tease breathlessly. “I was hoping for days. Weeks, even.”

Aiden’s answer is a wolfish grin and a searing kiss that sets me alight from the inside out. His hands roam my body, leaving trails of tingling heat in their wake. He cups my breasts, thumbing my nipples until they pebble and peak. I arch into his touch, whimpering with need.

“Please, Aiden,” I pant against his lips. “I need you. All of you.”

He groans, the sound vibrating through me. “I’ve got you, sunshine. I’ll always give you what you need.”

Slowly, teasingly, he kisses his way down my body, paying homage to every inch of my skin. He nuzzles the soft swell of my belly and traces the curve of my hips with his tongue. By the time he settles between my thighs, I’m a writhing, desperate mess.

The first touch of his mouth against my most intimate place has me seeing stars. He licks and suckles, stoking the fire in my veins to an inferno. I tangle my hands in his hair, holding him close as I ride the wave of sensation.

Just as I’m about to crest, he pulls back, making me whine in protest. But then he’s surging up my body, capturing my lips in a kiss that lets me taste myself on his tongue. “I need to be inside you,” he rasps, his eyes burning into mine. “Need to claim you, mark you, make you mine in every way.”

“Yes,” I breathe, wrapping my legs around his hips. “Do it, Aiden. Make me yours.”

With a rumbling growl, he positions himself at my entrance and sheathes himself to the hilt in one powerful thrust. I cry out at the exquisite stretch, the feeling of fullness. It’s like we were made for each other, two puzzle pieces finally clicking into place.

Aiden sets a driving rhythm, each snap of his hips pushing me higher and stoking the flames. I meet him thrust for thrust, our bodies moving in perfect sync. The apartment fills with the sounds of our passion—the slap of skin on skin, our mingled panting and moans, the creak of the sturdy table beneath us.

“Grace,” Aiden grits out, his pace becoming erratic. “My sunshine, my mate. I love you so much.”

Tears spring to my eyes at the raw emotion in his voice. “I love you, too,” I gasp, cupping his face in my hands. “Now and forever.”

His eyes flash gold, his wolf surging to the surface. “Mine,” he snarls, his thrusts becoming harder, deeper. “Say it, Grace. Tell me you’re mine.”

“Yours,” I pant, tilting my head in submission. “Always yours, Aiden.”

With a growl that shakes the very walls, Aiden sinks his teeth into the juncture of my neck and shoulder, marking me, claiming me. The mating bite sends a pleasure exploding through my veins so intense it borders on pain.

I scream his name as I shatter, my inner walls clamping down around him like a vise. Aiden throws his head back and roars as he finds his own release, pumping me full of his essence, his seed.

At that moment, the mate bond snaps into place with an almost audible click. I feel him everywhere—in my mind, my heart, and my very soul. Tears stream freely down my face as wave after wave of love, devotion, and pure, primal possessiveness washes over me.

We cling to each other as we come down, our bodies trembling with the force of our shared climax. Aiden peppers my face with sweet, soft kisses, murmuring words of love and praise against my skin.

Eventually, he lifts his head, his eyes shining with adoration and a hint of awe. “That was…”

“Intense,” I finish with a shaky laugh. “In the best possible way.”

He grins, dropping a kiss on the tip of my nose. “Mate bonds usually are, or so I’ve heard. Especially when you’re a devastatingly handsome alpha wolf and your mate is the most gorgeous creature to ever walk the earth.”

I roll my eyes fondly, swatting his shoulder. “Flatterer. You’re just trying to butter me up so I’ll bake you those cinnamon rolls.”

Aiden huffs a laugh, nuzzling into my neck. “Guilty as charged. But can you blame me? Your baked goods are almost as irresistible as you are.”

We lie like that for a long while, trading lazy kisses and soft touches as our heartbeats gradually slow. The apartment is filled with the scent of our lovemaking mingled with the sweet aroma of vanilla and spice from the bakery below.

“You know,” Aiden muses, tracing idle patterns on my skin, “as much as I love this—and believe me, sunshine, I do—I think I’d like to take my mate out on a proper date. Woo her a bit. Show her off.”

I grin, warmth blooming in my chest at the sweet, almost shy way he says it. “Oh yeah? And what exactly did you have in mind for this wooing, Mr. Big Bad Wolf?”

His eyes sparkle with mischief and promise. “Dinner at Luigi’s, for starters. Maybe a moonlit stroll by the lake after. And if my mate is very, very good…” He leans in, his breath hot against the shell of my ear. “Skinny dipping and round two under the stars.”

I shiver, heat already starting to pool low in my belly again. “I like the way you think, my alpha. Let’s get dressed and get this date started.”

Aiden steals one last lingering kiss before reluctantly disentangling himself from me. We clean up and get dressed, stealing heated glances and playful touches as we go. The air between us crackles with anticipation, the promise of more to come.

Hand in hand, we step out into the warm summer evening. The streets of Maplewood Grove are quiet, the soft glow of streetlights casting everything in a romantic, almost magical light.

As we stroll toward Luigi’s, I can’t help but marvel at the turn my life has taken. A month ago, I was just a small-town baker, content with my quiet, simple existence. Now, I’m the mate of an alpha wolf, bound by a love that transcends the ordinary.

It hasn’t been an easy journey. We’ve faced challenges, overcome secrets and fears. But through it all, our love has only grown stronger, more unshakable.

I glance up at Aiden, drinking in the strong, beloved lines of his profile. As if sensing my gaze, he looks down at me, his eyes soft and warm.

“Penny for your thoughts, sunshine,” he murmurs, echoing his earlier words.

I smile, leaning into his side. “Just thinking about how lucky I am. How happy you make me. I love you, Aiden Donahue. With every beat of my heart.”

He stops, turning to face me fully. His hands come up to frame my face, his thumbs brushing over my cheekbones with infinite tenderness.

“I love you, too, Grace Carter. More than I ever thought possible. You’re my everything, my reason for breathing. And I promise, I’ll spend the rest of my days making sure you know just how cherished you are.”

Tears prick my eyes at the raw sincerity in his words. I rise up on my toes, pressing my lips to his in a kiss that says everything I can’t quite put into words.

When we finally break apart, we’re both a little misty-eyed and a lot love-drunk.

Aiden takes my hand once more, bringing it to his lips for a gentle kiss. “Come on, my love. Let’s go start our happily ever after.”

And as we walk into the restaurant, ready to begin our first official date as mates, I know in my bones this is just the beginning. The start of a lifetime of love, laughter, and endless adventures.

The alpha and his mate, ready to take on the world—one moonlit stroll and bakery make-out session at a time.