“The feeling is mutual. I hate that I think of you every day, my little honeyed wolf. Feel that wretched and traitorous bond tying us together. Think about that sassy little mouth wrapped around my cock while I slip my tongue between your thighs and make you come while you choke on me.”

“God,” she gasped.

“I haven’t been with anyone else. Every time I even think about it, all I see is you, over me, under me, however the fuck you want me. Once. Just once, I need to know how it feels before I can finally be free of you.”

I sank my fingers in her warmth, and she arched into me. Sliding my other hand up, I grabbed her throat and anchored her to me. “I’ve fucked myself raw thinking of how you taste, and now I’m going to find out.”

Holding her to me, I brought my fingers up to my lips, I licked the tips and grunted. “Oh, yeah. I’m gonna enjoy getting my tongue inside you.”

“Please. More,” she hissed.

“You think you get to tell me what to do?” I palmed her pussy and stroked her with the palm of my hand. “Not tonight.”

Maybe not ever. Would there be anything other than tonight?

I tightened my hold on her throat and strummed my fingers over her clit. I sure as hell hoped there were no other wolves in the area because her moans of pleasure were echoing off the cave walls, and I was having a damn hard time keeping my power withheld.

I wanted to unleash it. To let it wrap around her so she knew she was safe here with me.

“Come, Anna. Let it go. Just for tonight. Just for right now.” I added a second finger, careful to only move in a way that made her moan. She was so damn tight, and then I smoothed my thumb over her clit.

Once. Twice.

Her voice caught, and she tried to pull away, but I could feel the climax rushing through her body. I wanted to feel it. I wanted to feel the way her body shuddered against me.

When it was over, I realized how desperately I wanted to hold her for just a little longer.

To murmur that I was hers as much as she was mine, and she could turn around and do whatever the hell she wanted with me. To sink my cock in her until there was no end and no beginning. Just us, fucking like the animals that we were.

Instead, I saw her on her knees, staring up at me, admitting that she’d helped her father.

What had her father done to turn her into that? Was she even the same woman?

“You can let go of my throat now,” she said quietly, seemingly knowing that the spell had somehow broken. I was still rock hard, but I wasn’t about to do anything about it.

What the fuck had I been thinking?

Quickly, I released her. “I shouldn’t have been so rough. You can tell me to stop,” I said gruffly. She didn’t say anything or turn around, so I stepped away. “I’ll lay out our clothes to dry. You don’t need to be naked all night. I think I’m better. I just…I may need to hold you tonight while you sleep.”

“It’s not the same.”

“What’s not the same?”

Sighing, she bent down to pick up Finn’s discarded clothes. “What you just did and what others did. They’d use me, not often. Just when their boredom had stretched too long, but my father did want me to stay a virgin. I think he wanted to auction me off.”

I growled, and she snapped her head up. “Sorry, what I’m trying to say is that what you did, and what they did, are not the same. It feels different. Not abusive. You don’t have to feel guilty about it, and you don’t have to worry. I know it’s just instinct. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“You’re still a virgin?”

“Don’t start thinking I’m pure and innocent. I’m not. I just haven’t had anything fuck me outside of my dreams.”

I slept in fits, one ear open for trouble and one arm wrapped around Anna. She slept fitfully as well, waking up, pulling away, and then coming back. We didn’t speak about what happened again.

Our clothes were dry by the next morning, although they smelled like the river. It was still better than having her smell like Finn.

“I’m not familiar with this area, but I should still be able to spot any spell traps. You just have to follow me closely and listen to me,” she said sharply as we stepped out of the cave.

She was feeling vulnerable about what happened yesterday. She wasn’t the only one.