Page 51 of Moon Fated

She shivered, her voice husky. "Then take me home, Rowan.”

I nearly came undone right there on the side of the road. The urge to give in, to lose myself in her, was overwhelming. But her safety came first. Always.

"I need to know this is truly what you want.” My voice was hoarse. "That you're ready to belong to me, body and soul. Because once I claim you, there's no going back. Not for me."

Uncertainty flickered in her eyes and she bit her lip. She tried to mask it, but didn’t recover fast enough. "If you’re asking if I want you…” She dropped her head, running her tongue over my lower lip.

She knew what I was asking, and that wasn’t the answer I longed to hear, but it was enough for this moment. I couldn’t push her. I wouldn't risk scaring her off. I wrapped my arms around her waist and squeezed, then helped her back to her seat and waited for her to buckle up.

I could barely see straight as I put the truck into gear and peeled away from the shoulder, tires spitting gravel. The drive back to my place was a blur, my focus split between the road and the maddening temptation beside me. Evelyn's hand rested high on my thigh, tracing idle patterns that sent jolts of electricity straight to my core.

Keep it together. I reprimanded myself even as a low growl built in my throat. My wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin, desperate to lay claim to our mate. Soon, I promised him. And I believed it. Every day Evelyn drew closer. Every day, she let a little more of her guard down.

What felt like an eternity later, we pulled up to my door. I barely had the engine off before Evelyn was out of her seat belt straddling my lap, her lips finding mine again in a searing kiss. I groaned into her mouth, my hands spanning her waist, the heat of her sinking into my palms.

"Inside," I rumbled between kisses, grasping for some semblance of control. She reluctantly slid off my lap, and we stumbled out of the truck. I reached back in to snag our clothes off the seat and followed her up the steps with unsteady legs.

The moment we crossed through the door, I dropped everything and pressed her back against it, caging her in with my arms. I drew a deep, shuddering breath, struggling to master myself. I wanted her so badly I was shaking with it. But I couldn’t consummate our bond fully. Not until I knew she was ready. Not until I knew she was fully mine.

Evelyn trusted me. She wanted me. But something was holding her back, and I knew exactly what it was.

Nathan Black.

Kitimat Pack.

She’d left to escape them, and they still loomed over us like a shadow. So tonight, I would show her what she had to look forward to. Then tomorrow, I’d do whatever it took to make her safe here in Black Lake.

"I'm going to take such good care of you, Evelyn." I nuzzled into her throat, reveling in the sigh that left her lips. Picking her up, I carried her to the bedroom and laid her back on the bed. My bed. Where she belongs. The possessive thought sent a thrill through me.

I took my time undressing her, revealing her curves inch by tantalizing inch until she was bared before me, flushed and wanting. My eyes drank their fill, committing every detail to memory.

"So beautiful," I breathed.

I worshipped her slowly with hands and mouth, stoking the flames higher and higher. Each breathy sigh and moan I coaxed from her lips sweeter than the last. I picked up where I’d left off in the cabin and learned her body like a map—every freckle, every sensitive spot. The sounds she made when I touched her just right.

Her taste on my tongue was pure ambrosia, and I toyed with her until she was writhing. Until the only word falling from her lips was my name, a desperate prayer. Every beat of her heart thudded through me, and as she released control, her ache and desire flooded our bond like I’d broken through a dam.

I flowed with that current, responding to every want, every ache, until she arched off the bed, shattering apart in my arms. I pulled her into my chest as she shuddered and rode out the waves. “I’ve got you. I’ve always got you.”

As she lay there quivering and boneless, I quickly shucked off my own clothes and wrapped her body with my own. She tipped her chin, and our eyes locked, the rest of the world falling away.

In that moment, nothing existed but her. Us.

I pulled her close, and we rested tangled together, gasping for breath. I felt her heartbeat gradually slowing beneath my cheek where it rested on her chest.

"Rowan," she whispered, threading her fingers through my hair. "That was..."

"Yeah." I lifted my head to meet her gaze, stunned anew by the vulnerability I saw there. The trust. I brushed a thumb over her kiss-swollen lower lip.

She reached up to cup my face in her hands. “Can I please?—”

I shook my head. No. My wolf growled, pressing forward until I could barely keep him at bay. NO. I couldn’t solidify this bond until she was sure. If she left now, I would be torn apart. But if she left after that? I didn’t know if I could survive it.

Her eyes were glassy. “I want you. All of you. But..." She bit her lip, hesitating.

I kissed her forehead. “I know.” A piece clicked into place in my heart. She wanted me. She would choose me. But I had to make her and my pack safe first.

I was the alpha. That responsibility had never rested so heavy on my shoulders.

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