Chapter 15

Tilly

Lachlan’s scent and touch were the only things keeping me from falling apart. I’d mostly stayed strong through it all, but now it felt safe to fall apart knowing he was there to pick up the pieces and put me back together.

Is that how a relationship should feel? Is that love?

In some ways we barely knew each other, but in other ways we had already been through far more than most couples who had spent years together.

And the thing was, it just felt right being with him.

I knew I still needed to sort out the Aiden thing, but I wasn’t as quick to appease my father after this experience. I knew now that life was too short.

Lachlan was my mate and I wasn’t willing to compromise with anyone else. He was mine.

I was surprised by how much I wanted him, craved him even despite the exhaustion. Maybe it was the added adrenaline of the night. It was late and I had no idea where he was taking me.

Walking into the penthouse suite was like a living dream.

“Wow. This place is incredible.”

The first door we reached swung open and my sister stepped out.

“Chelle?”

“Tilly? You’re alive. You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

We weren’t usually the affectionate sort of family, so I was surprised when she threw her arms around me in a warm embrace and then reached out and snagged Lachlan, drawing him into it too.

When she finally let go and stepped back, there were unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

“Thank you,” she told him, giving his hand a squeeze.

A growl leapt out of me before I realized what was happening.

She just grinned. “True mates. Got it. Though you should probably seal that soon because while everyone thinks he’s been totally in control, I suspect it’s been a lot harder on him then people think. These last few weeks haven’t been easy on any of us.”

“Weeks?” I squeaked.

“Yeah. The full moon is just a few days away.”

“Aiden. What am I going to do?”

“You are going to go live happily ever after with your true mate. Let me deal with Aiden.”

“Are you sure?”

“You are not giving up your chance at happiness for me. I’ve got this. It was always my duty, not yours.”

I hugged her. “I love you, but I also hate this so much for you.”

“It’s okay. I’ve known this day would come for a long time. I’m sorry you got thrown into the mix like that.”

“I’m not,” Lachlan said.

“Excuse me?”

“Think about it. If you weren’t slated to mate Aiden then you’d have had no reason to be in Campbell territory. I was never scheduled to be in King. The only reason it was switched is because they were worried I’d cause some sort of inter-Tribal catastrophe if I stayed in Campbell. So my team was reassigned to King where I found you again. So no, I’m not sorry at all. But I’m also okay if Chelle takes him back so I can officially mark you as mine.”

I elbowed him in the gut.

Chelle grinned, looking happier than I’d seen her in a long time.

“I think you’ve earned that right. He never once stopped looking for you or incessantly talking about you.”

“Hey, I wasn’t that bad.”

“You never stopped to think about why I was spending all my time in my room?”

He groaned. “Don’t you go blaming that on me.”

She gave me one last hug. “The munchkin’s getting restless so I better get back in bed.”

I pushed the door open to find the boys curled up on one bed and Hannah restlessly sleeping in the other which I assumed she was sharing with Chelle.

Tears welled up in my eyes.

“Night, Chelle.”

“See you guys in the morning, but not too early.”

Lachlan stood around like he didn’t know where to go or what to do from here. Then his phone rang.

“Hello?. . . You’re sure about that?. . . Okay. Thanks. And tell Grant thanks too.”

I hadn’t been listening in as I wandered around checking the place out.

Finally, he linked his fingers through mine and dragged me into the biggest hotel bedroom I’d ever seen. He shut the door and locked it behind us.

“Uh, there’s a bunch of girl’s stuff in here. Are you sure this is your room?”

“My room was given out for others. I was just going to sleep on the floor tonight. Taylor and Grant were in here and that was her on the phone. They will be up much of the night working and will find another bed to crash in. Not only is this room private, but it also has a dampener so no one can hear anything that goes on in here.”

Visions of various dreams I’d had started playing out in my mind.

“So we’re alone? Like entirely alone?”

“As if we’re the only two people left on this planet.”

There was so much I wanted to do and experience with Lachlan. A buzz of energy lit my body up like a Christmas tree. All I could think of was him and I knew I wasn’t going to get a wink of sleep until I burned off some of this energy. But I didn’t know if I could be bold enough to just go after what I wanted.

And then an inner voice reminded me that I was a badass who just brought down an evil faction singlehandedly and likely saved hundreds of people.

There was something empowering about that.

He sat down on the edge of the bed while I started to strip out of my clothes. When he reached down and tried to discreetly readjust himself, I knew he was affected by it.

I took my time, slowly removing one item at a time. I thought I’d be nervous, but I wasn’t. Nudity wasn’t exactly that big of a deal amongst shifters, though dingoes did seem to be more discreet about it than other shifter types I knew.

Lachlan didn’t seem to mind.

He growled his approval when my bra hit the floor.

“Tell me you’re not just teasing me.”

In response I pulled my pants and underwear down at once and stepped out of them as I approached him. Reaching for the hem of his shirt, I pulled it up and over his head. I’d noticed he was in lounge pants and not jeans which made them easier to remove, but he stopped me when his mouth captured one of my nipples.

He nipped and sucked, tormenting me with pleasure.

My hands pushed at his pants, desperate to remove them.

Finally, he obliged, but never stopped assaulting my senses.

I couldn’t see him, but I reached down and felt him, pumping him in with my hand.

My head was clouded of coherent thoughts as I lost myself in sensations.

“I want you so bad,” he growled in my ear.

“Yes.”

“I want to taste every inch of you.”

I gulped hard. “Yes.”

“I want to discover every place that makes you feel good.”

“You make me feel good.”

“You are mine. No one will ever take you from me again.”

His mouth was doing all sorts of things to my breasts and his hands had dipped low to tease me in my most sensitive places. I probably would have agreed to absolutely anything in that moment.

“Make me yours,” I managed to say.

His finger dipped inside me, first one, and then another.

“You’re so tight.”

“I’m ready. Give it all to me.”

I was needy and ready to beg.

I tried to guide him to where I needed him most, but he hit a spot within me that had me clinging to him and crying out his name.

“You’re so gorgeous. I’m the luckiest man alive to be able to spend my life with you.”

He started kissing his way down my neck and the thrill it gave me was almost better than the orgasm.

“Baby, you’re mine,” he growled as I felt his teeth sink into my neck.

“Yes!” I cried, biting him back.

The second his blood hit my mouth a frenzy started within. I clawed at his back as I straddled him and pushed myself down onto him.

He seemed to have a strong need to claim me just as I wanted to claim him, and not just in the physical sealing of the bond, but in every way possible.

I wanted to experience it all with him.

We stayed joined together as one until he was so close to the edge, that he threw his head back and growled as he came. This instantly triggered my orgasm. I swore I saw stars.

“Mine,” he growled again.

I always thought guys needs a break after sex, but not my man. He flipped me over and by the time he entered me from behind, he was already half hard.

“Mine, mine, mine,” he chanted in a growly voice that sent shockwaves through me with each thrust.

I had no idea being with him would be like this.

Would I always want him this strongly?

Would we ever stop doing it when it feels so good?

As he shuddered and collapsed down on me after claiming me in the most primitive way possible, I rolled into him and just held him close.

“Is it always going to be like this?”

He kissed the top of my head.

“Probably. At least for a very long time. Our dingoes crave each other too. When it’s safe to do so, we should go for a run together.”

“I’d like that.”

“There’s no turning back from this. You’re stuck with me now.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.