Page 11 of His Reluctant Mate

His hand slipped from her mouth, and she cried out as he grabbed her hips and thrust into her hard. Melinda pushed back against him, meeting his every move with her own, her body arching and undulating in time with his. The sensation of his cock inside her was overwhelming, and she felt like she was going to burst from the sheer intensity of it all.

Joe’s hand slid back up to her throat, and she felt his fingers wrap around it, his grip firm but not too tight. Melinda moaned, her head thrown back as he fucked her from behind, his hips grinding against her ass. It was a violent, primal dance, their bodies moving together in a frenzy of desire and lust.

“Touch your clit, Melinda. Get yourself off on my cock.” Joe demanded, and she obeyed, her fingers sliding down into her wet folds, finding her hardened nub. She circled it, her body begging for release as Joe continued to fuck her, his thrusts growing harder and faster.

Her moans were drowned out by his deep growls, his longing for his own release clear in every grunt and groan. “Come on, baby. Let me hear you come for me.”

Melinda complied, rubbing her clit in time with his thrusts, her nails digging into the blankets lying beneath her as she neared the edge. Her body tightened, every nerve ending feeling like it was about to explode, and then it happened. She cried out, her orgasm washing over her like a tidal wave, her body pulsing around his cock as she came hard.

Joe felt it, his hips thrusting deeper, harder, as he worked to push her higher, further over that precipice where she could fly free.

“That’s my good mate,” he urged, and her finger kept moving, her lips trying to say his name, but unable to, she could only gasp as pleasure drowned out everything else in the world.

As her body continued to tremble and shake from the intensity of the orgasm, Joe’s thrusts became more erratic, his breathing becoming ragged. He leaned forward, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered, “I’m going to come, Melinda. I want you to feel it.”

She nodded, her body still convulsing from her own release, her cheeks flushed and her heart pounding. She’d never felt so alive, so wild, so free. She wanted to savor every moment of this.

Joe’s hips thrust harder, faster, and she could feel his cock swelling inside her as he reached the brink. His fingers tightened around her throat, his other hand gripping her hip, holding her steady as he surged into her.

“Yes,” Joe groaned, his hips snapping back and forth in a frenzy. Melinda could feel him pulsing inside her, filling her with his heat and his cum. It was a powerful and intense sensation, and she knew she would remember this moment forever.

As Joe’s body shuddered and convulsed, she knew that she was truly his fated mate. There could be no question. Her heart caught up to her body, and she surrendered to the feelings rushing through her. This was more than just a response to primal urging to mate after a battle, this was a moment of respite she’d taken with her fated mate. This was a connection, a bond that would never be broken.

“I meant it, Melinda. This changes everything,” Joe said as he pulled out of her and pulled her up close to spoon with her under the blankets. “Claiming bite notwithstanding, you’re mine now. And none of those bastards will get to you. I wasn’t going to let them before, but now? I’m not fucking around with them anymore.”

The room was quiet, the only sound being their ragged breaths and the faint crackling of the fire. She lay there, her body still pulsing with the aftershocks of their intense encounter. Melinda could feel Joe’s heart pounding against her back, his chest rising and falling with each breath, and she knew that he felt it too.

She turned to face him, her eyes searching his for any sign of regret or doubt. But what she saw there was nothing but possessiveness and the promise of protection.

“You’re right, Joe,” she whispered, her fingers splaying over the muscles of his chest. “This changes everything.”

He nodded, his eyes never leaving hers.

“I’ll keep you safe,” he vowed, his voice deep and gravelly. “Anyone who thinks to harm you will have to go through me.”

Joe’s fingers brushed through her hair, his eyes on hers, watching her, gauging whether she had truly accepted the inevitability of their destiny.

“We make a good team, Joe.”

He nodded before taking her lips in a deep and passionate kiss, their tongues more leisurely exploring each other’s mouths, their bodies still hungry for more. The night wasn’t over, not yet, and suddenly, Melinda knew she didn’t just want to live to get the information about the methane into the right hands, she wanted to live to be with him, to share a life with him, and she’d fight tooth and nail to make sure that happened.

CHAPTER 7

MELINDA

When she awoke, the fire was dying and the makeshift bed she had shared with Joe had grown cold. Melinda could hear him up and moving around. She sat up, watching as he put together two packs—one large and one small. She was pretty sure who would carry which one. Rising up off the floor, she groaned. There was a time sleeping on the cold, hard ground or floor was an adventure. She realized that time had passed.

Joe looked over his shoulder at her and smiled. The dark thoughts that had begun to invade her mind were pushed into the corners, chased away by the look on his face.

“Good morning. Your clothes are over by the fire. You need to get dressed and eat something. I’ll finish getting us packed. We need to get out of here.”

Melinda got up, dressed, ate, and then hurried in order to help Joe finish packing their survival gear, their movements efficient and precise. They had spent the night in each other’s arms, but now the rising sun signaled it was time to move on. Joe held up the flash drive and handed it to Melinda, who slipped it inside her bra. Not only would she know where it was, but it would stay with her regardless of what she did, and her body heat would help protect it from the icy cold. It would also serve as a constant reminder of their mission's urgency.

Joe handed Melinda a pair of goggles and helped her on with her pack. He explained that she had most of the food and hydration they would need. His eyes met hers with a determined gaze. “Ready?” he asked.

She nodded, her voice steady despite the turmoil within. “Ready.”

They stepped out into the biting cold, leaving the cabin behind. The harsh wilderness stretched before them, an endless expanse of snow and ice under a sky that seemed perpetually gray. The wind howled around them, a relentless force that bit into their exposed skin. Melinda pulled her hood tighter and brought the scarf up, tucking it under the lower rim of her goggles, the breath that escaped her scarf forming clouds in the freezing air.

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