Page 41 of Unforgivable Fate

“I know Maddox…” He started but she put a finger to his lips.

“Let me finish. Please.” She waited for him to nod before pulling her finger away, “I’ve let myself get to know you and I like you. I’m attracted to you of course and that’s only magnified by the mating heat. But beneath all of that, there’s a part of me that’s still scared.”

His eyes softened but he remained quiet and she continued before she lost her nerve.

“I told you that I knew you weren’t Maddox, that you’re not like him, but the truth is, I’m still scared. I’m scared because when I let the wrong people in my family gets hurt. I get hurt, and I don’t want to get hurt again.”

“Nova.” Griffin spoke her name like a prayer as he moved to cup her cheeks. “I’m not going to hurt you. I promise. I would never, ever hurt you.”

“I know.” She nodded quickly, a rush of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. “Logically I know that but I’m having a hard time getting my brain and my heart on the same page and I said something stupid, tried to minimize this thing between us, but I shouldn’t have said it and I don’t really think it. I’m sorry.”

Griffin’s dark eyes studied her face for a moment and she waited to see what his reaction to her outpouring was. He stroked her cheek with his thumb and she was surprised when she watched one corner of his mouth curl up. He looked down at her lips and then back to her eyes.

“Your heart’s involved?”

She felt the organ in question melt a little at the hesitant question and she leaned her forehead against his, “Of course it is. How could it not be? You’re my mate.”

“Nova.” He sighed but she cut him off before he could tell her again that they should call it a night and try to start again tomorrow.

“I want this, Griffin. I want you. Is that enough truth for you for one night? Is that enough? Am I enough?”

He smiled softly and when he nodded she felt something like relief soar through her, “Yeah. Yeah I think that’s enough. Definitely enough talking for tonight.”

“But not enough kissing.” She whispered softly, leaning back in slowly so he could push her away if he wanted.

He didn’t.

“Definitely not enough kissing.” He murmured against her mouth just before he took her lips in a searing kiss full of heat and possession.

Nova melted against him as he licked into her mouth and the taste of him flared through her. He traced her mouth with his tongue, going slow, learning every inch. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head, giving him better access and his hands went back to her ass. He used his strength to move her against him, rocking her body against his and a dizzying need swept through Nova and settled deep inside her core.

This was what she’d been waiting for, she realized. The spark that the others in the pack talked about when they met their mate. It wasn’t just the heat. It was the feeling of complete and utter rightness, of knowing that the person you were with was the only person you were ever going to be with, ever supposed to be with.

With a gasp, Nova broke the kiss, leaving Griffin panting for air and his eyes searching her face, “Is something wrong?”

“No.” She consoled him immediately. “No. Everything is perfectly right.”

“Are we stopping?” He tilted his head in confusion and she smiled.

“No. But I need to tell you something before we go all the way.” She bit her bottom lip but met his gaze, “I’ve never been with anyone else. Never even come close.”

“Oh…”

She raised her eyebrows at the one uttered word, her skin prickling with unease so that she rambled on, “It’s not that I bought into the whole tradition of saving yourself for your fated mate. I always thought that seemed so misogynistic. The female has to cling to her virginity but the males don’t have any such guidelines. If it’s supposed to be this sacred, magical thing then it should be both parties. That’s not my point, the point is, I told you that I don’t trust easily and so, I’ve never let anyone close enough to want to be with them like this… only you. It’ll be only you. My first and my last.”

Griffin didn’t speak for a long moment and Nova swallowed a groan. She’d thought he would want to know that she was still a virgin. She’d heard some men in the pack had been thrilled to learn their mates had saved themselves for their mating night. She wasn’t sure what reaction she’d been expecting out of Griffin, only that it wasn’t the complete and total silence that he gave her now.

She frowned, “Griffin? Is that a problem?”

“No. God. No.” He shook himself, literally, as if he had to push away whatever thoughts had trapped him in his head. “No, Nova. I’m glad you told me.”

“Okay.” She licked her lips, which still tasted of him and leaned closer, “Can we get back to the kissing then because…”

“I’m a virgin too.”

She reeled back in shock, “What?”

“I’ve never been with anyone else either.” He admitted roughly, his eyes everywhere but on her. “It’s like you said. You don’t trust easily. Neither did I after everything that happened with my family and my old pack. There were some women along the way, I won’t lie and say I wasn’t tempted, but we never went that far and after a while it just seemed like maybe there was a reason I didn’t want anyone in that way. Maybe, when I found my fated mate, if I was lucky, we’d both be each other’s firsts, and lasts.”

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