Chapter 47

47

" H ighway or backroads?" I ask, sliding Cam a side-eyed glance as we leave the city limits of Denver.

"Backroads," he replies instantly.

I hang a left, smiling to myself knowingly as I set us upon the same route we took to get here. It adds an hour onto the drive, but it's a lot less crowded and a whole lot more scenic. Not that we'll be able to appreciate much of the landscape in the dark. He probably wants the extra drive time to decompress after meeting his family, though, and I'm more comfortable driving on the sparsely traveled roads anyways.

I considered asking Cam to drive us home, but Madd made me swear that I'd be the only one operating his precious Jeep when I asked to borrow it. I've never felt the need to have my own car since I've always had his at my disposal. I usually don't hesitate to bend the rules, but my twin always knows when I'm lying, and I'm not about to give him another reason to start shit with Cam. Not when it seems like he's finally starting to come around to accepting him.

It could all be for nothing. The dinner with the Bauers tonight couldn't have gone any better, and even though Cam was nervous about meeting his siblings, he fit in perfectly with them, like it was always meant to be. He connected with Delilah about their affinity for technology, joked around with JJ, and got lost in conversation with Hayes. Even he and Juliet hit it off, and I caught Cole getting misty-eyed more than once as he looked around the table at his newly expanded family. It's painfully obvious that Cam belongs with them, and I'm not sure where that leaves us.

The city lights fade into the distance in the rearview mirror as I contemplate how we can make this work; if he even wants to make it work. Cam has been so focused on untangling his past that any talks of our potential future together have fallen to the wayside. I've been right there beside him, trying to be as supportive as I can while internally freaking the fuck out over what's going to happen with our bond.

In any other scenario, I'd come right out and ask him, but this is all uncharted territory for me. I've never even been in a serious relationship before, let alone navigated one with a mate that fate chose for me. I'm completely adrift, drowning in an ocean of uncertainty and badly in need of a life raft.

"You and Hayes seemed to hit it off," I comment, striking up idle conversation to get myself out of my own head.

"Yeah, he's cool," Cam murmurs.

"Is he?" I joke, smirking in response to his choice of words. "I don't know, the strong and silent thing works for you, but on him, it's kinda boring."

"You just don't like that you can't rile him up," he points out.

I make a scoffing sound in my throat. "When was I trying to rile him up?" I ask, feigning innocence.

"How about when you grabbed his ass in the lounge?"

"That was an honest mistake," I quip, waving him off. "In my defense, your butts look a lot alike."

"When have you ever seen me in khaki slacks?" Cam deadpans .

"Good point, you should get some," I chirp. "If they make your ass look half as good as your brother's…"

A low growl of warning rumbles in his chest and I bark a laugh, throwing a thumb in his direction.

"See, that's exactly the kind of fire Hayes is missing. I don't know how you weren't bored to tears when he was going on and on about cryptocurrency."

"It's the way of the future," he replies with a shrug.

"Oh god, now you're quoting him?"

"Well he's not wrong."

"Aw, look at you defending your brother already," I tease, taking my eyes off the road for a second to turn his way and make a silly face at him.

"Just stop," Cam grumbles, frowning.

My own expression falls. "Stop what?"

"Acting like I belong with them."

I roll my eyes, focusing back on the road ahead. "Of course you do, they're your family."

"No, the five of them are a family," he mutters. "I'm just an interloper."

I scrunch up my nose. "An inter-what-now?"

"A fucking outsider," he growls. "An unwelcome guest at their happy little family dinner."

"How can you be unwelcome when they literally invited you?" I ask, darting him another side-eyed glance.

He cards his fingers through his hair with a sigh. "They were just being nice."

"Or maybe they're just nice people and they truly want to get to know you."

"Sure, they're nice," he concedes. "But I doubt they want me hanging around any more than you do."

My heart stutters in my chest, brow furrowing in confusion. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how I don't fit in anywhere," he snaps, his raised voice making me flinch. "I was thrown out of The Guild when I became a shifter, and other shifters don't want me around because I used to be in The Guild. I'm talking about how I unknowingly fucked up my whole life, and no matter what I do, I can't go back and change any of it. I can't bring back the werewolves I killed. I can't un-capture you. I might've helped you guys take The Guild down, but it was too little too late, wasn't it?"

I shift my wide-eyed gaze between him and the road, at a complete loss for words. He seemed so content during dinner; I felt the hum of his contentment through our bond. But this … I have no idea where this is coming from.

"I'm talking about how people who know my history can't help but look at me sideways, and the worst part is, I fucking get it," Cam continues bitterly. "I wouldn't want to be associated with me, either. I'm a shifter who used to hunt my own kind. I can barely get the hang of my wolf, my mate doesn't want me, which is against nature from what I've been told, and I'm…"

I cut off his tirade by slamming my foot on the brake, the tires of the Jeep squealing against the pavement as I jerk the wheel to the right and veer off the road. "Whoa, back the fuck up. When did I say I don't want you?!" I demand as the Jeep rolls to a stop and I throw the gear into park.

Cam flickers a rueful glance in my direction, shaking his head. "C'mon, Avery, there's no point in tiptoeing around it. You've been practically trying to shove me out the door to Denver."

"Yeah, so you could meet your family," I say.

"And go off and join their pack, right?" he scoffs. "Isn't that why you said I should look for them?"

"Well yeah, but..."

"And now that I found them, you're all about pushing me to get to know them," he continues.

"I'm just trying to be supportive!" I exclaim, banging my palms against the steering wheel in frustration. "I don't want you to move to fucking Denver!"

He flinches back, brow furrowing in confusion. "You don't?"

"No, you idiot. If I had my choice, you'd stay and just fucking be with me , but then what kind of mate would I be if I asked you to do that? I can't keep you from your family, and as much as I love you, I don't want to leave the six-pack. My family's there, my friends, the squad…"

Cam darts out a hand, cupping my face in a palm and turning it toward him. "What'd you just say?"

I blow out a shaky breath as I stare into his eyes. "I don't want to leave the six-pack."

"Before that."

I wrinkle my nose as I comb back through my words, cheeks heating when I realize what just slipped out.

Cam brings his other hand up to the opposite side of my face as he leans in, still holding me captive in the intensity of his stare. "I love you too," he declares, and all the air leaves my lungs in a whoosh of breath. "I should've told you sooner, but I just… fuck, I don't know, I've never said that to anyone before, and you've never been shy about saying what you want so I just thought…"

I shove forward, silencing him by slamming my lips against his. He grunts in surprise, nipping my lower lip, then parts his own, tongue sliding into my mouth and seeking mine. My fingers sink into his hair, tugging him closer as I kiss him fiercely, desperately, showing him just how wrong his assumptions were.

He kisses me back with the same intensity, our mouths still fused even as he tugs me to climb over the center console and onto his lap. My knees part to straddle his waist, arms winding around his neck as I tilt my head and kiss him harder, deeper. Our lips glide, tongues tangling as he slides a hand up my thigh and under the hem of my sundress, a shiver running through me when his fingertips brush the soaked fabric of my panties.

"Does this feel like I don't want you?" I murmur against his lips, grinding my hips as I chase his touch.

" This has never been our problem," he growls, circling my clit through my panties.

I pull back, blinking at him as I pant to catch my breath. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He slides his hand out from underneath my dress, gripping both of my thighs as he stares into my eyes. "You liked fucking me even when you hated me."

"I never hated you," I admit. "Not really. I hated what you stood for, but there's always been something about you that I just couldn't hate, no matter how hard I tried."

"I know what you mean," he sighs, flexing his grip on my thighs. "If I could take back that time you spent locked up, I would."

"I wouldn't," I reply confidently. "If that hadn't happened, we may never have found each other. Or if we did, it probably would've been through the scopes of our rifles." I gaze at him thoughtfully, tilting my head. "After everything we've been through, how could you think I don't want you, Cam?"

He blows out a breath, rubbing his thumbs in circles against my skin. "Because I know you. Since the first day I laid eyes on you, I've committed everything about you to memory. I watched you obsessively when you were in that cell."

He swallows thickly, regret shining in his dark eyes. "I saw how you'd act tough, then let yourself cry when you thought nobody was looking. I saw how determined you were to get out and how you fought every day to keep yourself going. And once you escaped and I found you again, I never stopped watching. I wanted to know everything about you."

"Like how you rile people up just for the fun of it, because controlling their reactions makes you feel powerful. And how you stir the pot when you're starting to feel left out because you want people to notice you, but you're impossible not to notice. You've got everyone in your life wrapped around your damn finger, and it's because people can't help but be drawn to you. I couldn't help but be drawn to you. You're a damn force, and when you want something, you fucking go for it. But instead, you've been pushing me away."

"I never meant to push you away," I whisper, my throat raw with emotion. "I was just trying to do right by you. I know how hard all of this has been, and I just… as much as I wanted to ask you to stay, I didn't want you to feel forced into doing it just because fate tethered us together."

"Are you kidding me?" Cam scoffs, grabbing my chin between his thumb and forefinger and drawing my face closer to his. "I may not understand the whole fated mates thing, but I know how I feel about you, Avery. You just need to fucking talk to me. If you want this, you need to tell me, damnit."

"I want this," I rasp, fighting back tears. "I want you , Cam!"

The moment those words leave my lips, he yanks my face to his, claiming my mouth in a scorching hot kiss that makes my toes curl and my brain short-circuit. I moan into his mouth as I shamelessly grind over his lap, suddenly needing him inside me more than I need air to breathe. If the way he's kissing me is anything to go by, we're definitely on the same page- a heartbeat later, he's reaching underneath my dress and tearing my panties from my body, tossing the shredded fabric away like it's nothing.

"I need you," I pant, my hands scrabbling to unfasten his pants as his thumb starts circling my clit, working me up into a frenzy.

"You need this cock, baby?" he growls against my lips.

"Yes!" I gasp as he sinks a finger inside me.

"Good, ‘cause I need this pussy," he murmurs, pumping his finger in and out while reaching down with the other hand to help me pop the button on his jeans. He lifts his hips and I shove them down with his boxers, taking his hard, hot length in my fist and stroking him in time with the thrusts of his finger inside me.

I whine needily as he tortures me with his hand, bringing me to the brink of orgasm before abruptly withdrawing it from between my thighs and lifting it to his mouth. He shoves his fingers past his lips, groaning as he sucks my arousal from his digits, then captures my mouth in another filthy kiss, forcing me to taste myself on his tongue. "So damn sweet," he murmurs, nipping my lips as he maneuvers me over his lap, lifting me by the hips to position the fat tip of his cock at my entrance.

Grasping onto his shoulders for leverage, I sink down, crying out at the stretch as I take him inside me. He captures my lips again, swallowing my moans as I start bouncing up and down on his lap, lost to the sensations of pleasure zinging through my body. I barely register when the sting of something sharp pierces my lip, the coppery tang of blood sliding across my tongue.

Cam suddenly jerks back in alarm, his eyes wide and wild as he raises a hand to his mouth and touches the tip of a finger to one of his elongated canines. "What the fuck is happening?" he chokes, his dick still buried deep inside me.

I blink chaotically, so lost to lust that my brain takes a second to catch up. "It's your wolf," I pant, laying my hand over his in an effort to calm his panic.

"Wha… how do I stop the shift?"

"It's not a shift," I moan, circling my hips. "It's… remember when I explained how wolves mark their mates to claim them?"

His canines slowly start receding into his gums as he nods.

"It's a biological thing. The mark seals the mate bond," I say breathily, the tip of his cock hitting a spot inside me that makes me see stars.

Fuck, Avery, focus!

"There's a serum… that's released beneath the skin when yo u mark…" I pant. "It carries your mate's scent, lets other shifters know you're claimed."

"Okay," he murmurs, gaze dropping to the junction of my neck and shoulder. "So I just bite you, then?" he asks, rubbing his thumb over the spot he's seen others sporting their mate marks as his gaze lifts to meet mine again. "Will it hurt?"

I still my movements, reality crashing down like a ton of bricks. "Marking isn't something you can take lightly, Cam," I say, staring into his eyes intently to convey the gravity of my words. "It's forever."

The corner of his mouth lifts as he gazes back at me adoringly. "I know."

"You really want that?" I question.

"Why wouldn't I?"

My pulse takes off at a gallop. "Are you sure?"

"Have you seen my ink?" he scoffs. "I'm not a man who's afraid of commitment. I love you, Avery. I want to be with you, now and fucking forever. I want everyone to know you're mine ." He grips my hips, thrusting up into me and stealing my breath.

"I love you too," I reply breathlessly, throwing my head back as he starts hammering into me from below, the knot of pleasure in my belly winding tighter.

"So how do I do it?" he growls.

The pressure inside me builds, my gums tingling as I feel my own canines descend. "Like this," I breathe, lifting my head so he can see them through my parted lips. His eyes widen in awe and I drop my head to the crook of his neck, instinct taking over as I sink my teeth into his flesh and the taste of his blood coats my tongue. My climax rips through me the moment I bite down, body quaking as I ride his dick hard through wave after wave of bliss.

" Fuck, fuck, Avery, I… " Cam chokes out, and I withdraw my teeth, licking the puncture marks in his skin before lifting my head to meet his eyes. As soon as I do, I see the sharp tips of his canines peeking from his lips, craning my neck to the side and offering myself up to him.

Cam lunges forward with a feral growl, canines piercing my skin as he grips my hips and slams me down over his cock. I'm instantly coming so hard again that the stars I was already seeing shatter into fucking oblivion, the line between pain and pleasure blurring beautifully until it no longer exists. I lose track of where my body ends and his begins as I feel the bond between us intensify, fusing and sealing into an unbreakable tether as Cam groans through his climax, flooding my insides with warmth.

He withdraws his teeth, running his tongue over my skin to soothe the sting as I fight to catch my breath. "Do you feel that?" he murmurs, rubbing a palm over the center of his chest as he lifts his head to gaze up at me. "The bond…"

"I feel it," I breathe, body going slack in his arms.

He tightens them around me, heaving a contented sigh as he pulls me in close and nuzzles into the side of my neck. " Mine ," he declares, trailing kisses over the fresh mark on my skin.

"Mine," I whisper back. A tear slips from the corner of my eye, trailing a wet path down my cheek.

When we set out for Denver this afternoon, the last thing I was expected was to end the night on the side of the road, sealing the mate bond with Cam in the passenger seat of my brother's Jeep. Then again, nothing about our relationship has been sweet or poetic. It's fitting that it happened like this- messy and chaotic and so perfectly us .

I comb my fingers through Cam's curls, tugging on the strands until he lifts his head to meet my eyes, my lips curving into a smile. "We should probably get back," I giggle, still blissed-out and fucking giddy.

"Mmm, probably," he murmurs, smacking a kiss on my lips.

Pushing off his chest, I throw a leg over the center console, climbing back over to drop into the driver's seat. As soon as I do, I regret that Cam tore my panties off, hurriedly smoothing my dress down to cover the leather beneath me.

"You good to drive?" Cam asks, glancing over at me as he fastens his jeans.

I roll my lower lip between my teeth as I watch him. "Actually, why don't you drive," I suggest, smirking.

He cocks a brow. "Madd won't mind?"

"Oh, he'll mind," I laugh, tossing my hair over a shoulder with a wink. "But hopefully that'll deflect from him figuring out that we just defaced his precious Jeep."