Chapter 14

Tilly

I couldn't believe everything was happening so quickly.

An hour later, I was packed and Lachlan was escorting me to the airfield. I still had no idea where we were headed beyond Sydney.

Sydney was a huge city.

"The kind of place a person could get lost in, or simply disappear," Lachlan had told me.

He'd tried to insist that I get some sleep while we awaited word that the plane was refueled and ready, but I wasn't keen on that and too nervous to sleep.

Once inside the plane though, everything changed.

"I can't do this," I told him as I tried to rush passed him and get out of that death contraption.

"What's wrong?"

"I've never flown before," I blurted out.

He relaxed and smiled. "Is that all?"

"Is that all? Are you daft? I don't want to fly. I'm a dingo created to keep four paws on the ground. I don't belong in the air."

"It's okay to be nervous, but it's not so bad. We'll be there before you even know it."

I shook my head, but when he wrapped those big, strong arms around me and nudged me closer to him, my whole body betrayed me by instantly relaxing.

"Much better. Now come on. Take a seat and I promise you I'll be right here the whole time."

"I can't."

"You can."

I didn't want to do it, but when he led me to a seat, it was like I was possessed or something. He'd somehow taken full control of my body and despite my concerns, I followed him anyway.

"Are you a witch?" I asked as he reached around and buckled me in.

"No. Why?"

"Because I seem to respond to your commands even when I don't want to."

He laughed. "That probably has more to do with the bond than me."

"I doubt that," I mumbled under my breath.

"What?'

"Nothing."

The captain came over the loud speaker and asked us to buckle up as he informed us we'd be taking off shortly.

"This is a horrible idea."

"What can I do to help calm you down?"

"Nothing."

He gave me a look that had inappropriate thoughts popping into my head.

"I'm sure I can find ways to distract you."

His voice was velvety smooth and felt like an intimate caress against my skin as he spoke.

I gulped hard.

But as the plane started to move, I grabbed hold of the arms of my seat and held on for dear life.

"You're going to be okay," he whispered in my ear.

I'd already closed my eyes but jumped at the sound of his voice as they popped open.

He was so close. If I turned my head towards him, our faces would align perfectly for another toe curling kiss.

My body was instantly strung tight.

It shocked me just how badly I wanted him.

He sniffed the air, no doubt smelling my arousal.

A low growl rumbled through his chest.

I couldn't take it anymore. This time, I didn't wait for him to kiss me. I turned and kissed him first.

Greedy.

Desperate.

Terrified.

Unexplainably excited.

All the emotions were rolling through me at once.

My fear of flying disappeared as I lost myself in the sensations of my mate.

It will never be like this with Aiden, I thought.

He was the last person I wanted to think of right now. So I cleared my mind and just enjoyed the flight.

When the captain came back on the intercom to let us know we were free to move about the cabin, I nearly jumped out of my seat.

My chest was rising and falling with each breath as I tried to get a grasp on my emotions.

Lachlan had other plans though.

He reached over and undid my buckle and carefully maneuvered us to the floor.

It was much more spacious and open than I ever imagined a plane could be and we were the only two passengers on board.

He eased my shirt up and over my head.

As he kissed his way down my neck, I froze as he reached the spot he'd already tried to mark me twice.

Before I could freak out, he dropped a kiss there and moved on.

I could feel his hot breath through my bra as his mouth covered me and nibbled through the silky fabric.

I moaned in pleasure.

The truth was, while I liked to push my boundaries at times, when it came to intimacy, I was a good girl. I'd always known I would mate well and I had saved myself for it. Right now, I didn't know if I would end up mating Lachlan or be stuck with Aiden. I was tired of doing the right thing. Nothing else mattered but sharing this moment with my one true mate.

I freely gave myself to him.

"Yes," I cried out, letting him know I was all in, damn the consequences.

The noises of appreciation that he made only stoked the fire within me even more until I was a blazing inferno within.

I wanted to touch him and feel his skin against mine.

Carefully, I removed his shirt with far more patience than I felt and I allowed myself to explore his body. It was exquisite. Every time he gave a sound of encouragement it emboldened me to continue.

"Tell me you want this too," he said in a strained voice.

"Yes," I managed to say.

I was blinded with emotions, acting on feelings, and not thinking logically. But I didn't care. I wanted this more than I'd ever wanted anything.

We continued to kiss and grope each other like two horny teens. I smiled at the thought and couldn't help but wonder if it would always be this way. And would we be together long enough to find out.

At peace with my decision to allow him to take my virginity right here and right now, I participated with new vigor.

The first time his hand dipped down and touched me at my core I nearly splintered into a million pieces. I was hot, wet, and ready for him.

I reached down to unzip his pants, one more step to what I most wanted.

"We're approaching descent. Please return to your seats and buckle in. We'll be landing in approximately fifteen minutes."

I jumped back like I'd just touched fire.

Lachlan groaned in frustration. He seemed to be judging the time and then looked defeated as he brushed my now slightly sweat dampened hair from my face and gave me one last chaste kiss before sitting up and gathering up our clothes.

Inside I was screaming in frustration, but I tried to play it cool.

"Saved by the bell, I guess. We really shouldn't be encouraging a bond."

He looked at me for a moment and then nodded.

"Yeah."

To my surprise, there wasn't any awkwardness between us as we redressed and took our seats. For some reason I thought there should be, but there wasn't. I realized that I was more comfortable with Lachlan than I had ever been with anyone else in my entire life.

"I'm sorry," he said softly once we were back in our seats.

"For what?" I blurted out in a knee jerk reaction.

"I shouldn't have taken advantage of the situation."

"You didn't take advantage of it or me. I wanted this."

It was true, though now that I wasn't in a lust filled stupor and could think a bit more clearly, it was probably for the best that we hadn't gone through with it.

I stared at the window. Nothing I saw through it looked real. None of this felt real either.

Lachlan wrapped an arm around me and sank against him.

"We're going to get through this and someday look back and laugh."

"Maybe," I said. "I'm not trying to be difficult, it's just. . ."

"I know. This is a lot. I thought that helping my friends through it would somehow prepare me better, but it hasn't. I'm not sure anything can really prepare you for this."

I nodded.

As we started a harder descent, I grabbed onto his arm for dear life.

"I'm scared," I confessed.

"We're fine. Westin Force employs the best pilots in the world. They'll get us there safe. I promise."

"Not just that."

I turned and looked up to meet his eyes. I was terrified of so much more than this plane.

He leaned in and kissed my forehead. That simple gesture shouldn't have made everything right again, yet somehow it did.

"Do you really think you'll find my sister?"

He nodded. "I really do, but I also don't want to make you promises I may not be able to keep. There's a lot in this that is out of my control."

"I know."

"I'm gonna try everything I can to bring her home safely."

"And save my Tribe and the others too?"

"Yeah."

"You're kind of like a superhero."

He grimaced. "No, not that."

"Why do you say it like that?"

"Because the superhero never really gets the girl, and I fully intend to."

I barely noticed the slight bump upon landing as I stared up at him.

I wanted to tell him that I hoped he'd get the girl too, but I wasn't in a place to make that promise. I still hadn't talked to my dad to find out what was really going on and why he was asking me to mate Aiden. But if even part of what Lachlan had shared with me was true, then I knew I had a duty to my Tribe before my heart, and that meant I may have to give up this man that made me feel so many wonderful unfamiliar things.

I said a quick prayer that it wouldn't come to that, but for now, it probably was for the best that we had been interrupted and hadn't taken things too far.

Much to my surprise, landing wasn't bad at all. The relief I felt being back on ground overshadowed my concerns about my future.

"What happens now?"

"As a precaution we'll be taking the long way there from here."

"What does that mean?"

"You'll see."